


Paranormal Activity VII

by TheArtisticIntrovert



Series: PAVII-verse [1]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Biracial Character, Body Horror, Darker Canon, Gen, More tags to be added, PoC character, [rubs my evil little hands all over your fluffy cartoon]
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2018-07-13 22:45:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 40
Words: 52,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7140818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheArtisticIntrovert/pseuds/TheArtisticIntrovert
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if all those horror pictures and little mental health headcanons the Phandom loves got wrapped up into our favorite ghost kid? What if the ghosts weren't glowing green blobs, but instead the stuff of nightmares every horror movie warned you about? What if the "Scary Eyes" weren't the only sign Danny was angry?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1: Intro Arc

**Author's Note:**

> hold onto your butts, people. this is gonna be a wild ride. you can thank all those horror/angst DP artists on tumblr for this, but caffinechick; promisen; and scrollingdown especially. get your video cameras ready, because we're about to see some Paranormal Activity

Danny’s never believed in ghosts. Living with self-styled “ghost hunter” parents who endlessly chattered about ghosts to anyone who would listen wore down the novelty pretty quickly. For a few years, he tried to pretend he didn’t know them, but that was nearly impossible. Eventually, he accepted his status as the son of the town nutcases. When they moved to Amity Park, he thought it’d be a fresh start. New friends, a new school, a new reputation… He even made some new friends. His life was finally looking normal by the end of 8th grade.

 

Until the day he died, Danny’s never believed in ghosts.

 

\--

 

When his parents built a new hot tub in the basement, Danny assumed they were building a  _ hot tub.  _ Not a  _ ghost portal _ . Unfortunately, they’d neglected to tell Danny that, which is how he and his friends found themselves clad in spare hazmat suits and forced to listen to his dad chatter excitedly about how the portal was going to work. Danny chanced a glance over at Sam Manson, a girl he’d met during the last half of middle school. She was looking a dangerous mixture of bored and annoyed, arms crossed and foot tapping aggressively against the concrete. He bit his lip nervously, looking over to his other side where Tucker Foley stood. He’d known Tucker for a little longer than Sam, having met him in 6th grade after he moved. Unfortunately for Danny’s nerves, Tucker was looking just as annoyed as Sam.

 

He couldn’t help but think this was a bad idea. When his mom brushed past their grumpy little group, he felt his stomach tie up into knots. This was it, the moment that could either cement him as a freak or prove his parents were somehow sane. Maddie joined her husband at the switch on the wall, grasping the lever firmly. Jack pulled up his hood and started a muffled countdown, mounting the tension higher with each second passed. On “zero”, they flipped the switch together and… 

 

Nothing. Not a spark, not a light, not even a noise. Just anticlimactic silence. Danny saw their shoulders slump, disappointment hitting them for a second before Maddie straightened up again. Danny knew from past failures that his dad would mope for a few days while his mom tried to figure out what went wrong. He just wondered when they’d realize that “what went wrong” was the fact that  _ ghosts don’t exist. _ Lost in thought, he hardly noticed the now-familiar whispered arguing, at least until Maddie’s voice broke through his musings about lunch.

 

“Well, this is a bit awkward… We seem to have miscalculated some parameters, so… the portal won’t be ready today. We need to run the numbers again, see what went wrong. Feel free to make yourselves at home, there’s some leftovers in the fridge” — Danny made a face at that. There was no way he was eating that weird glowing ham leftover from last week’s roast —“if you need us, we’ll be upstairs,” Maddie said awkwardly, starting to drag a pouting Jack back towards the basement door.

 

Once they were gone, Danny turned to his friends. “Look guys, I’m really sorry about that…” he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. The thick rubber glove caught his hair painfully, making him wince and put his hand down. Sam scowled, having slipped out of her suit in record time. She kicked the light blue bundle away with a disgusted glare, turning on Danny as Tucker’s white suit joined the pile.

 

“Save it, Fenton. You didn’t tell me your parents were crazy when you invited me over. You don’t even have the hot tub you promised!” she snapped, crossing her arms. Her face was twisted in anger and contempt, the kind of scowl only a 14-year-old girl could manage properly.

 

Behind her, Tucker was gripping his T-shirt in both sweaty fists. “Yeah, man. I mean, I already knew about your parents and stuff, but I really was looking forward to the hot tub,” he said, ever the peacemaker. Danny bit his lip, shifting his weight uncomfortably.

 

“I really am sorry, guys. I really thought they gave up on that stuff… Is there any way I can make it up to you?” he asked, saying a mental goodbye to his saved allowance. Knowing Tucker, he’d probably make Danny buy him the latest gadget, and Sam was an unknown. She looked like she was thinking, long enough to make Danny start to sweat. Her face twisted into a wicked smirk, a sadistic light in her eyes. She steamrollered over Tucker’s suggestion, her tone allowing no room for argument.

 

“Dare you to go in it.”


	2. Chapter 2: Intro Arc

The entire room stilled, so silent you could hear a pin drop. Danny’s nervous smile had frozen in place, eyes darting between Sam and Tucker as if trying to detect a sick joke. “W-What?! No way! It could be dangerous!” he stammered, waving his hands frantically. Sam scowled, crossing her arms.

 

“You more or less asked me what it would take for me to forget about this. You saw it yourself, it doesn’t even  _ work.  _ Just climb in, I’ll take a picture, and we can pretend this never happened,” she said, annoyance creeping into her tone. Tucker shifted nervously behind her, inching towards the door. Danny himself was sweating nervously under the thick rubber of the hazmat suit he still had yet to take off.

 

He  _ really  _ didn’t want to go in the hole, in case there were some exposed wires or something, but Sam had a point. It didn’t work, so theoretically it should be totally safe. “A-Alright, but only for a little bit. Close the door, though. I don’t want my parents coming down without a warning,” he conceded, looking away from her and glaring down at the floor. If only he weren’t so desperate for friends…

 

He heard the old wooden door of the main basement close with a tired squeal, the loud noise making him wince and cast a nervous glance up the stairs, despite knowing logically that once it was shut the basement was totally soundproof. “What’re you waiting for, a written invitation? Quit being such a baby and get in already!” Sam snapped, shifting her weight to her other foot. Danny shook off his apprehension and nodded, reluctantly advancing towards the hole in the floor.

 

“Alright, alright, I’m going,” he sighed, hoisting himself over the side. He tried to keep a good grip on the steel ladder leading to the farther-than-normal bottom, but the thick rubber gloves he was wearing made it difficult. On the way down, his foot slipped and hit something before he regained his grip. He heard a low whining noise, but ignored it. At least, he ignored it until he felt the ladder start buzzing under his hands.

 

“DUDE, GET OUT OF TH —”   
“DANNY, WATCH O—”

 

The warnings came too late to help him. Danny let out an agonizing scream as electricity raced through his exposed neck and head, coursing through his veins. He lost his grip on the ladder as his muscles seized up, falling the last two feet to the bottom. He scrabbled at the metal floor, white-hot pain blanking out his vision as a thick, syrupy fluid started to fill his nose and mouth. A freezing ache gripped his bones, sinking deeper than even the worst winter chill could. He dimly registered the screaming echoing off of the metal sides of the tub, multiplying into an agonizing howl of tortured pain. Finally,  _ finally,  _ his vision darkened. He surrendered to blissful unconsiousness, fading away into blackness just as the buzzing stopped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look i know it's been a month but i can EXPLAIN i was busy studying for my permit test and i also....really hate editing......[sweats nervously]


	3. Chapter 3: Intro Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for: Blood, excessive swearing, body horror, anxiety, and death. All the things I'd invite to a dinner party......NOT.
> 
> Please be safe friends

His eyes fluttered open to a blinding light, harsh against his aching brain. He hissed in pain, bracing his hands against the floor to sit up. Strangely, the floor didn’t seem to exist. Instead, he was floating in a dim green tunnel, composed of some sort of thick, viscous fluid. He reached out a hand to touch a formless lime-green blob, startling back when it jolted away from him in apparent fear. Lost in a tumble, he only managed to stop by hitting the oddly solid side of the tunnel. “Where...am I…?” he whispered, now floating upside-down. He looked ahead of himself, jumping back again when wispy, cloud-like strands of  _ something  _ filled his vision. He pinched a group of the strands hesitantly between his gloved fingers, pulling it closer to his eyes. Immediately after, a sharp tug hit his scalp. A muted tearing noise filled the tunnel and the strands suddenly had lost all resistance. Though the ends were coated in an odd red-green fluid mixture that was beading at the end, there was undoubtedly a clump of hollow white hairs, almost like a polar bear’s. “Weird…” Danny muttered, rubbing his aching head and looking up. Towards the top of the tunnel, he could make out shadows drifting across the light. Below him, a bright white light was shining, the edges that reached his foot seeming oddly warm. He glanced back up at the shadows, narrowing his eyes. Something about them seemed almost… familiar.

 

Determinedly, Danny windmilled his arms until he was facing more or less upright, starting to swim towards the top of the tunnel. After about two minutes, his hair broke the surface, followed by the rest of him. He dragged himself to the side, gritting his teeth as he began to pull himself over the edge. He nearly fell in again when the earsplitting shrieks of his friends assaulted his ears. His lips pulled back almost subconsciously, baring his teeth in a snarl as he dragged himself out of the tub—no, the  _ portal _ . Apparently, his parents  _ weren’t  _ complete fruit loops after all.

 

_ “D-Danny? Is that… oh god, is that you?!” _

_ “H-Hey man, don’t come any closer, alright? You’re scaring me, Danny!” _

 

Two bodies? One body? No,  _ there _ . Two separate movements. Twin cocktails of  _ delicious  _ terror and guilt. Danny breathed deeply, savoring the tastes on his tongue. More. He wanted  _ more _ . Staggering to his feet and growling harshly, he glared around the room.

 

_ “Danny, no! G-Get back!” _

_ “Shit, what do we do?! Do we call his parents?!” _ __  
_  
_ Parents. Hunters.  __ Murderers.  Danny recoiled, snarling louder. He snapped his head around, focusing on the drawn, washed-out faces of Tucker and Sam.

 

_ “No way, moron! You heard how they were talking, they’d kill him!” _ _  
_ _ “Sam,  _ **_look_ ** _ at him! I think  _ **_we_ ** _ killed him already!” _

 

Kill.  _ Kill.  _ **_KILL!_ ** Danny howled again, clamping his hands over his ears. Not even the spike in the sweet terror was enough to calm the sharp pain in his gut at the mention of his parents. Sam and Tucker screamed again, metal and glass shattering against the walls as the temperature in the already chilly basement dropped about ten degrees. A warm, almost burning sensation surrounded Danny at the waist, growing stronger as he exhausted himself. Desperate to get whatever was happening over with, Danny grit his teeth and trembled when the oppressive heat spread over the rest of his body. He collapsed to the floor, twitching when tiny shocks spread through his body, sparking a dull ache in his neck and chest.

 

“D-Danny? Are….you alright?” Tucker asked hesitantly, uncharacteristically taking it upon himself to investigate. Danny squeezed his eyes shut and let out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding, shivering when the dwindling sparks once more shot through his body.

 

“I…..think so?” he croaked, throat hoarse from screaming. He struggled to a sitting position, wrinkling his nose at the green fluid dripping off his suit to puddle around him. It was gross, sticky, and worst of all, it smelled  _ delicious.  _ Like a homecooked steak, fresh honey, and Sprite all in one amazing bundle. Without thinking about it, he sucked a bit off his glove while Tucker rambled at him. His eyes rolled back in his head and if he didn’t know better, he could’ve sworn he just purred. The smell didn’t lie, this was one of the most amazing things he’s ever eaten.

 

“Danny! Don’t eat that, you don’t even know what it is!” Sam snapped, smacking his hand away from his mouth. Danny blinked at her, biting his lip. She was right, that was the  _ first  _ rule of the lab. If you don’t know what something is, don’t eat it! “Anyway, Tucker’s right. Shouldn’t you be a  _ little  _ less calm about all this? You just got  _ electrocuted,  _ Danny! We thought you’d died!” she said, frowning at him.

 

Danny scowled, irritation settling in his gut. “Oh, really? Sorry, I hadn’t noticed,” he snapped sarcastically, shakily grabbing the table to pull himself to his feet. He fumbled for the zip on his suit with his free hand, unable to stand being in the thing for another second. Not when he got a sickening sense that he’d just  _ died  _ in it. The smell of the liquid still puddled on the floor under his boots filled his senses, making his brain fuzzier and adding to the headache.

 

He jumped when a fist slammed down on one of the metal tables, rattling the equipment scattered over it. “Dammit Danny, now isn’t the time to be a little shit! We’re trying to figure out what happened, alright?!  _ Nothing  _ about this makes sense, and we just want to make sure you aren’t gonna keel over or eat us or something!” Tucker yelled, making both Danny and Sam turn to look at him with twin expressions of shock on their faces. Tears were beading in the corners of his eyes, and he seemed to shrink a little under the attention before straightening up again. He stalked over to them, balling up his fists tightly as he crossed the room. “We’re all scared, and we’re all confused and angry, but that’s no reason to fight!” he said, his voice hitching a little.

 

“.....You’re right Tucker. Sorry…” Sam muttered, backing up a step. Danny didn’t say anything, still hung up on something Tucker had said in his fit of rage.

 

“What do you mean eat you?” he asked finally, looking over at Tucker. He blinked, looking surprised.

 

“Dude, no offense or anything, but you looked kinda...freaky. Like a movie monster or something,” he said, biting his lip.

 

“W-What? No way! I would’ve noticed...right?” Danny said, taking a step back and nearly tripping over the suit he’d left in a bundle on the floor. Tucker shrugged, looking cornered. Sam cleared her throat, crossing her arms.

 

“I think there may be a way to show you. Don’t your parents have security footage or something?” she asked, glancing up at the camera in the corner. Danny looked up, paling drastically. If he really did turn into some sort of monster in that portal…there’s no way they wouldn’t find it when his mom did the monthly footage review this weekend.

 

“Y-Yeah, they do. But if what you guys are saying is true, then… we need to get rid of it.” he said, picking his way around shattered beakers and twisted ectogun prototypes to the computer console in the corner next to the portal. He heard them following him, Sam cursing under her breath when she tripped over something. He booted up the computer, glaring when a password screen flickered to life. “Dammit!” he swore, slamming his fist on the table. The metal groaned, a dent forming where his fist hit. Behind him, Sam and Tucker traded terrified glances. Anxiety settled uncomfortably in Danny’s gut, but he ignored it. He had more important things to deal with right now.

 

He searched around the desk, looking for anything with a password hint. Moving an empty fudge box and a coffee cup, he finally found a slightly stained post-it note covered in his mom’s handwriting. He held it up triumphantly, turning to grin at Sam and Tucker. Sam grinned back nervously, but Tucker looked terrified, eyes locked onto Danny’s mouth. Sam elbowed him in the side, causing him to jump and snap his gaze up. Danny skimmed the note, smile fading when he realized it was just a grocery list. He turned slightly when he heard sneakers scuffing against the concrete, noticing Tucker shifting nervously out of the corner of his eye.

 

“Danny, just… move over,” Tucker said finally, avoiding looking Danny in the eye as he stepped up to the computer and gently moved him aside. Danny blinked at him, going to join Sam as Tucker pulled out his PDA. He tugged a bundle of wire out of one of his pockets, hooking it up to the console. He pressed a few buttons on the PDA, before shutting down the computer.   
  


He booted it back up again, settling back in the chair as he waited for it to load. “This might take a while,” he warned, turning to look at them. Danny glanced back at the door, narrowing his eyes.

 

“Hope it doesn’t take too long, I think I just heard footsteps…” he warned, shoving his hands in the pockets of his shorts. Sam raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment. Tucker glanced over at the computer again, sighing in relief when a menu popped up with a loading bar.

 

“Alright, now we just wait for a little bit,” Tucker said, setting his PDA gently on the cluttered table. Danny glanced back at the door again, unsure if the pounding he heard was his dad’s lumbering gait or his own heartbeat thudding heavily in his ears. He licked his lips nervously, trying to ignore the fear settling thickly in his gut. He couldn’t shake the paranoia that someone was going to come bursting into the lab at any minute, catching them all in the act of wiping the footage.

 

Danny swallowed heavily, glancing back at Tucker. “A-About how much longer?” he asked, shifting his weight from one foot to the other restlessly. Tucker glanced back at the screen, eyes scanning the wall of text.

 

“Um….shouldn’t be too much longer, it’s almost done. A-And, just out of curiosity… Who made the password? Your mom or your dad?” he asked, staring determinedly at the screen. Danny thought for a second, worrying his lip between his teeth.

 

“My mom, I think. Why?” he said finally, trying to peer at the screen from behind Sam. Tucker shrugged.

 

“Ah, no reason. Just...some of these passwords don’t make sense. Don’t worry about it,” he said finally, pulling a scrap of paper and a loose pen towards him. He scribbled something down before rebooting the computer again, unplugging the PDA. 

 

He typed in a password, sitting back as it loaded. He smiled slightly when the desktop appeared. “See? Piece of cake. You said we needed security camera footage, right?” he asked, clicking on a folder. Danny nodded, too shocked to say anything. He knew Tucker was fond of technology, but the kid was 13! Since when was he some kind of teenage hacker?!

 

Sam shoved him forward, snapping him out of his thoughts. She nodded her head sharply towards the screen when he glanced back at her, a video file pulled up and paused while he’d been distracted. Tucker got up to go join Sam, leaving the chair open for Danny. He sat down and made sure the volume was high enough before pressing play, dreading what he’d find.

 

_ The footage began while they were arguing about the portal, the sound tinny and slightly distorted. The camera captured a wide angle of the room, but the expressions of the three teens were fuzzed out from the distance.  _

 

_ “Quit being a baby and get in already!” _

 

_ “Alright, alright, I’m going.” _

 

_ Danny gracelessly clambered down the ladder, fumbling for a second on the ladder before regaining his balance. A low whining filled the room, growing louder as a white light shone out of the bottom of the tub in the floor. _

 

_ “DUDE GET OUT OF THERE!” _ __  
_  
_ __ “DANNY, WATCH OUT!”

 

_ A bloodcurdling scream echoed off of the metal walls of the tub, the concrete basement just amplifying the noise, filling the room with a ghostly howl of pain. Sam and Tucker clamped their hands over their ears as the light grew bright enough to white out the camera for a good ten seconds before dying down. Sam went to go peer carefully over the edge, looking for any sign of Danny. She jumped back when what looked like a green-streaked cloud of white cotton candy floated up from within the tub. A gloved hand coated in the same substance reached over the edge of the tub, slipping for a second when Sam shrieked in surprise and scrambled back to rejoin Tucker in the corner of the room. Whatever was dragging itself out of the tub regained its grip, another arm coming up to join the first as it hauled itself over the side. _

 

_ It looked up, unintentionally making more of its grotesque features apparent. It had translucent skin, veins and thick scarring bulging out across its face and neck. Its wispy, cloud-like hair floated up around its head, like the creature had just stuck a fork in an outlet. Its eyes were a solid neon green, glowing like fluorescent bulbs and casting harsh shadows on its gaunt face. It snarled at the two teens huddled in the far corner, saliva dripping off of its large fangs. _

 

_ “H-Hey man, don’t come any closer, alright?! You’re scaring me, Danny!” _

 

_ It stopped, turning towards the noise. A thick, pointed tongue slipped out of its mouth, flicking at the air. The acid green color stood out harshly against the pale color scheme of the rest of it, providing a jarring contrast. It grinned, eyes narrowing as it locked onto the shivering forms of Sam and Tucker. The grin widened into a predatory smirk, lips pulling back to show more teeth than actual joy. _

 

Danny slammed his hand on the pause button, trembling violently. His other hand was clenched into a fist, nails digging so deeply into his palm that blood started dribbling sluggishly over his nails. He heard glass break, one loud pop after another, plunging the room into darkness for about ten seconds before the emergency lights came on and bathed the room in a soft red glow. Danny shoved himself out of the chair, ignoring how it clattered to the glass-dusted floor with the rest of the debris. “That wasn’t me… There’s no way… There’s no way that was me!” he shouted, slamming his fist against the wall. His eyes widened in horror and surprise when the concrete folded like wet paper under the force, and he yanked his hand away as if trying to deny it was ever in there. Bits of concrete and dust flew out of the hole, blood staining his knuckles. He swallowed thickly, eyes still locked on the damage when he heard a terrified whimper from behind him. He turned slowly, biting his lip when he noticed Tucker trembling behind Sam, who’d moved to stand protectively in front of him. Danny cleared his throat, trying desperately to shove down the tears he could feel building. “Okay, so...maybe it was me…” he conceded, voice ten times quieter than before.

 

In a terrifying way, it made sense. It explained a lot of the unexplainable things that had happened ever since he’d come out of the portal, and it explained why Tucker seemed so damn  _ scared  _ of him. Danny swallowed again, throat bobbing as he tried to work out the lump that had settled there. He collapsed on the floor and ignored the glass that dug into his unprotected knees. Fear, anger, apprehension, protectiveness… They all swirled in his stomach, an unpleasant cocktail of emotion that threatened to make him throw up.

  
Sam and Tucker weren’t faring much better. They were terrified of Danny, of what he’d become…..of what he still was. Tucker was scared of what Danny would do if he ever left him, Sam of what he was capable of. She glanced back at Tucker, who’d tried to make himself even smaller than usual, and made a decision. For Tucker’s sake, and her own….She wouldn’t tell anybody.

 

Even if she so  _ desperately  _ wanted to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you want a summary, contact me at theartisticintrovert.tumblr.com and I'll give you a rundown of what happened. No anon, or else I can't answer =w=;


	4. Chapter 4: Intro Arc

Everyone was quiet for a while, cooling down from the adrenaline high. Danny cleared his throat, shifting his weight and wincing slightly when glass dug further into his skin. He stood up carefully, brushing the glittering dust gently off of his knees. “We…..We should erase that footage,” he said, voice rough and unfamiliar even to him. He avoided looking at his friends, instead righting the fallen desk chair and brushing the glass off of the seat.

 

“.........Good idea. We should clean up too, before your parents come back,” Sam agreed, taking in a deep, shuddering breath. She tried to relax her trembling muscles, panic and exhaustion threatening to overwhelm her. Tucker lowered his arms from over his head, squeezing his fists rapidly to try and calm down his racing heart. He agreed to wipe the footage—once Danny had moved away from the computer. Danny began to gather up the fallen weapons and lab equipment, blushing slightly when he realized that a lot of the near-complete ectoguns were twisted and broken beyond recognition. Sam started sweeping up the glass and plastic fragments, and between the two of them the room was clean within minutes. Tucker finished covering their tracks just as Danny put back the last fallen table back against the wall. He logged out and shut the computer down, stretching and standing up.

 

“Danny, it’s getting late. I promised my parents I’d be home before dinner… I’m really sorry, but I gotta go,” Tucker said, tugging on his ear and looking down at the floor. Danny’s lips tightened as another wave of guilt washed over him, and he turned to glance at Sam when she stayed quiet. She was playing with a loose lock of hair, looking away when she noticed him watching her.

 

“Yeah, I need to leave too. Sorry, it’s a…...family thing…” she said, obviously uncomfortable. Danny knew she was lying, she  _ never  _ wanted to spend time with her family if she could help it. But instead of voicing these thoughts, he just sighed and nodded, resigned. He didn’t blame them for making excuses to leave, he’d do the same if he was in their position.

 

“A-Alright. I’ll see you guys later though, yeah?” he asked, looking between them with painful hope shining in his eyes.

 

“............Bye, Danny.”

 

\--

 

Danny walked them to the front door, watching them walk away until he couldn’t see them anymore. He felt like someone had just grabbed his heart and dunked it in liquid nitrogen before shattering it on the ground. Logically, he knew they needed time to process what had happened this afternoon, but emotionally? He felt like he’d just been abandoned. He shook his head, closing the front door and locking it before turning away. “S’not worth worryin’ about…” he muttered dodging the coffee table and collapsing on the sunken couch in one smooth motion. He let out a long breath, closing his eyes. “What did that portal  _ do  _ to me…?” he sighed, frowning. His ears perked up when he heard the lock clicking, along with muffled thumps that he could only assume were footsteps. He cracked an eye open when he heard the door creak open, closing it again when he realized it was just Jazz, back from the library. “Danny?” she said, surprised. “I thought you were hanging out with Sam and Tucker today.”

 

He shrugged, sinking further into the couch and picking at a loose thread on his shirt. “Change of plans. They had to go home early,” he muttered bitterly, opening his eyes slightly. Jazz blinked, setting her bag down by the coat rack.

 

“Is something else going on, Danny? I haven’t seen you this upset since Appa started sharing your baby stories when you were 10,” she said, settling on the couch next to Danny. Jazz rested her head on her hands, the very picture of a casual listener. Danny blushed and scowled, looking away from her as his cheeks warmed.

 

“Yeah, thanks  _ so  _ much for reminding me. It’s none of your business Jazz, butt out!” he snapped defensively, crossing his arms and glaring at his knees. Jazz raised an eyebrow, shocked. Danny wasn’t usually this confrontational, especially not right off the bat like this. She changed her approach, straightening up. If Danny wasn’t going to respond to ‘concerned older sister’, maybe he’d respond to ‘annoying older sister’.

 

“So something  _ is  _ going on. You can tell me, you know. I wouldn’t tell Appa or Eomoni if it wasn’t something that would hurt you,” she said, settling back into the cushions and letting her lips tug up in smug victory. Danny turned his glare on her, gritting his teeth. Any guilt he felt for hiding this from her flew out the window the second she let that smirk cross her face.

 

“I told you it’s none of your business! Leave me _alone,_ Jazz!” he yelled, clenching his fists and tensing further when a ceramic sculpture shattered on the floor. Jazz’s eyes widened, shock and fear warring in her gut. She raised her hands slowly, trying to placate Danny. Something was _definitely_ off.

 

“Alright. You don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. I’ll respect that, no more questions,” she said, trying to remain calm. Danny turned away, and she sighed. “I’m gonna go finish this extra credit project. I’ll be in my room if you need me, alright?” she added, gently poking his shoulder and standing up. Danny didn’t respond, continuing to glare a hole in the pillow. She sighed again and walked away, glancing back to check on him before shaking her head and continuing up the stairs. Once he was sure she was gone, Danny let the tears fall. He felt so guilty for making her scared, but he couldn’t help it. It wasn’t her fault he was so...moody. He closed his eyes again, trying to block out the afternoon. He needed to figure out how to get himself under control…

 

“What’s wrong with me…?”

 

\--

 

“ADEUL!” Danny shot up, flailing and falling off of the couch with a yelp. He smacked his head on the coffee table on the way down, stars swimming across his vision for a second before he shook them away. He peeked over the edge of the table, narrowing his eyes when he saw his dad standing in the kitchen doorway with a massive grin on his face.

 

“Yeah, whuzzgoin’on?” he yawned, pushing himself off of the floor. The second he got his feet under him again, Jack was dragging him to the basement. Danny only understood about half of Jack’s excited rambling, and only paid attention to about half of that. He snapped back into focus when he heard the word “portal”, eyes widening in panic. He could only hope that Tucker had covered up the footage well enough.

 

Maddie met them in the basement, a sullen Jazz standing next to her. “I’ve run the numbers and it isn’t putting out any harmful levels of radiation, and the cover works perfectly! The only thing I can’t seem to figure out is why all the lightbulbs are shattered, but right now we’re just chalking that up to an energy pulse that was too powerful for them to handle,” Maddie explained, her wide grin making the red lights winking off of her goggles that much more terrifying.

 

“W-Wait, you mean your portal thing  _ worked?!  _ But that… That should be impossible! Ghosts don’t exist!” Jazz cried, distressed. She ran her fingers through her hair, fingers twitching frantically as she tried to process.

 

“So maybe your portal turns on, big whoop. Have you actually  _ seen  _ a ‘ghost’ come out of it?” Danny countered, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. He still wasn’t 100% convinced his parents weren’t just crazy, but he could accept that they at least made a portal to  _ somewhere.  _ Jack waved him off, still beaming.

 

“Don’t worry son! We haven’t seen one yet but we’ll tell you when we do!” Jack said, hopping from foot to foot like a giddy schoolgirl. It was a rather… _ odd _ sight, to say the least. “Ah, Maddie! Why not check the camera, see if ghosts came out while the lab was empty!” he suggested, earning a peck on the cheek from Maddie.

 

“That’s a great idea, hun! I’ll go check on that right now,” she replied cheerfully, darting off towards the terminal. Danny felt his back break out in a cold sweat, hands shaking slightly. Before he could get too deep into his panic, he was startled by a beaker smashing on the floor. Everyone jumped, turning to look at where the noise had come from. Maybe this whole “secret-keeping” business would be a  _ little  _ harder than he’d thought...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enter the jazz. also, idk if i remembered to mention this, but jack's korean in PAVII.
> 
> Appa - Dad  
> Eomoni - Mom  
> Adeul - son


	5. Chapter 5: Intro Arc (END)

About a month after the accident, things were starting to look up again. Or at least, as up as they could be, considering. Sam and Tucker had started talking to Danny again after about a week; though that didn't mean they were comfortable around him yet. Jazz hadn’t asked again about what was going on, and he hadn’t gotten sick off of his parent’s cooking in a while! In fact he……hadn’t really been hungry at all lately. Everything he tried eating just settled uncomfortably in his stomach, like he was trying to eat dessert after a huge meal. After a few days of trying to eat, he just……gave up. He wasn’t sure if anyone had noticed, but if they had they didn’t say anything. Jazz kept shooting him concerned looks, but she always did that, so he wasn’t too worried.

He’d also figured out why stuff kept breaking when he was upset or angry. After a week of plates and statuettes shattering whenever he was around, he finally learned he had to get a handle on his emotions. He knew it wasn’t healthy, but it wasn’t like he could go to a therapist or something. Jazz would have a field day if she ever found out what was going on with him…

“Danny, it’s time to get ready for school!” Danny jerked out of his thoughts, falling through the bed and landing painfully under it. Right, another thing he had to get a handle on. Apparently he randomly went through solid objects now. Joy…

“Coming, Mom!” he groaned, rolling out from under the bed and spitting out a dust bunny. He got dressed, frowning at his arms before grabbing a red hoodie. Scars had begun to show up, faint brown lines tracing over his veins. He’d rather deal with questions about why he was wearing a hoodie in 83 degree heat rather than questions about why his arms were all scarred up.

Danny headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth, shrugging the hoodie on as he left his room. He glanced in the mirror, the shock of the face staring back not enough to faze him anymore. Dull blue eyes just stared ahead tiredly, same as every other morning. His freckles and the bags under his eyes were nearly the same shade, dark spots contrasting the few red pimples dotting his forehead. He scowled as he brushed his teeth, absently probing at his new fangs with his tongue.

“DANNY, HURRY UP OR YOU’LL BE LATE!” Jazz called, startling him badly enough that he knocked the small cup resting on the sink onto the floor, water pouring onto the tiles and puddling under the trashcan.

“Shi-bal!” he swore, grabbing a towel off the rack and throwing it on the floor before the water could reach his socks. He spit out the toothpaste into the sink, picking up the plastic cup to rinse out his mouth. He mopped up the water with his foot as he rinsed the toothbrush, kicking the sodden towel into the laundry corner. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, briefly considering running a brush through his hair before deciding against it and heading downstairs.

Maddie turned slightly from the stove when Danny entered the kitchen, goggles swaying softly around her neck. “Oh, morning Danny! Want some breakfast?” she asked, smiling. He yawned and shook his head, picking up his backpack and swinging it over his shoulder. He twitched when a couple heavy textbooks slammed into his side, but otherwise ignored it.

“Mm, if something’s ready. Otherwise, I’ll just grab something on the way,” he said, shrugging lazily. Maddie bit her lip, glancing back at the stove.

“No, nothing’s close to finishing yet. Make sure to eat something healthy, alright? No Nasty Burgers!” Maddie said, mock-frowning at him and waggling a finger in his face. Danny laughed, pushing her hand away gently.

“No Nasty Burgers, I promise. I’m heading out now, I love you,” he said, kissing her on the cheek and waving as he exited the kitchen. He nearly ran into Jazz on his way out, but he stopped just in time. “Hey, watch it!” he yelped, nearly falling before regaining his balance. She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, curiosity piqued.

“I’m not the one who came around a corner at Mach 3, so cool your jets. What’re you in such a big hurry for, anyway?” she asked, subtly shifting her weight to block his path.

“I’m not! I’m just trying to get to school before I’m late. You know how Lancer is!” he said, trying to sidestep around her. She moved with him, other eyebrow joining the first.

“Yeah, I do. It’s not even 7:30 yet, chill out! He’s not going to give you a detention for being 30 seconds late,” she scoffed, her tone taking on an air of someone who knew exactly what they were talking about. Danny glared, biting the inside of his cheek roughly.

“Maybe he wouldn’t to a teacher’s pet, but me? All the teachers hate me, Jazz! They’re always watching me, waiting for me to do something wrong, ever since the first day of school!” Danny cried, frustratedly clenching his fists. He had to calm down, before—

CRASH!

—before something like that happened. Jazz turned, wide-eyed, to where the noise had come from. Sitting in shattered pieces on the floor was a tacky green and gold vase Jack’s college friend Vlad had given Danny’s parents as a wedding gift. “Oh look a distraction sorry Jazz you better clean that up I gotta go before I’m late love you byeee!” Danny said quickly, grinning and waving as he slipped around her and darted out of the house.

He speedwalked down the street, not slowing until the glowing Fentonworks sign was out of sight. He sighed in relief, checking his phone for the time. 7:34. Plenty of time to get to school before the bell. He hurried to the bus stop, getting there just as the bus was leaving. He swore violently, making two older women sitting on the bench look at him in shock. He ignored them, checking the time again. “Jehn-jang…” he muttered, shoving his phone in his pocket and taking off towards Caspar High. “Good job, Danny. Barely two weeks into school and already you’re getting in trouble,” he puffed, muscles burning. He spotted the school looming in the distance, slowing down slightly. He skidded to a stop before he ran into a tree, catching himself with a branch. He braced his hands on his knees, panting for breath and trying to get himself back under control before heading inside.

The bell rang just as he pulled open the door, the sudden noise startling him. He heard a crunch and dragged a hand down his face in exasperation when he realized the metal handle of the door was twisted and crushed. “Oh, wonderful. Today’s getting off to a greeeaat start…” he muttered sarcastically, heading inside. He moved slower now, not bothering to rush since he was already late.

He found his classroom well enough, but unfortunately the door was in the front of the room. Lancer’s room. “So nice of you to join us, Mr. Fenton. What’s your excuse today? Missed the bus? Couldn’t open your locker? Please, enlighten me,” Lancer drawled, looking about as ‘done-with-this-shit’ as any English teacher was allowed to look. Danny bit his lip, looking down at his sneakers.

“Um, the first one…sir…” he mumbled, the tips of his ears warming with a blush. Lancer sighed, sounding like he didn’t want to do this just as much as Danny, but he did it anyway.

“I’m afraid rules are rules, Mr. Fenton. Detention this afternoon,” Lancer said, handing him a pink slip. Danny took the paper, scowling and turning to go to his seat in the back of the room. Expecting the noise, he only slightly twitched when a loud crack rang out through the room. He refused to look until he was seated, and only after getting settled did he look up at the huge crack running diagonally through the blackboard in the front of the room. Mr. Lancer and the rest of the class were staring at the board in shock, Lancer’s chalk sitting in two crumbling pieces on the floor.

Danny could feel a suspicious glare burning the back of his neck, but he ignored it. It was probably just that weirdo Weston kid again. He seemed hellbent on ‘proving’ that Danny wasn’t human. Danny usually found it amusing on a good day, but unfortunately for Weston, today wasn’t one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shi-bal: Fuck  
> Jehn-jang: Dammit
> 
> I headcanon Danny only knows swears in Korean just because he likes insulting ppl without them knowing.


	6. Chapter 6: Interrogation Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS FOR: Mild Descriptions of Violence, Panic Attack

“I’m serious, if I can’t get a handle on these powers, I’m gonna end up seriously hurting someone!” Danny ranted, crumpling his water bottle and tossing it into a nearby recycling bin. The bin rattled violently before settling back to the floor, but neither Danny nor his friends noticed. Suddenly, Sam grabbed Danny’s arm, roughly bringing him to a halt.

 

“Kind of like how you’re ‘handling’ it right now?” she asked, shooting a pointed glance at his feet, which had sunk into the floor sometime during his complaining. Danny swore quietly, making sure nobody was looking before pulling his feet out of the floor. He let out a sigh of relief when they tuned tangible again, rubbing his eyes exhaustedly.

 

“Thanks, Sam,” he said, smiling at her gratefully. She nodded, smiling back absently as she checked her watch.

 

“Shit, we better go. It’s almost lunch,” she said, glancing back at Tucker. He’d jerked out of his thoughts when she’d mentioned food, and Danny swore he could see a little drool escaping the side of Tucker’s mouth.

 

“Oh yeah! It’s Meatloaf Monday, right?” he asked cheerfully, already heading off towards the cafeteria. Sam smirked, one eyebrow raised in amusement.

 

“Not this week. The school agreed to try out a vegan menu this week, courtesy of yours truly. Today’s actually Tofu Burger Monday, but it doesn’t have  _ quite _ the same ring to it,” she said, smug accomplishment laced in every word. Danny winced at Tucker’s wail of distress, smiling slightly at his friends’ antics. Surely Sam was joking….?

 

\--

 

Sam wasn’t joking. When Danny got to the lunch line (to keep up appearances, the water bottle completely rid him of that gnawing hunger from earlier) there wasn’t a single shred of meatloaf to be seen  _ anywhere  _ in the cafeteria. Danny blinked down at the slightly green burger sitting on his plate, dropping into a chair without looking. “She really wasn’t joking….” he mumbled, chuckling quietly. Tucker plopped down in front of him, Sam not far behind. He looked absolutely miserable, staring morosely at his burger.

 

“Sam this is torture. You put a burger in front of me, but I can’t eat the burger! It doesn’t even taste like anything!” he whined, crossing his arms and pouting. She laughed and took a big bite out of her burger, swallowing before replying.

 

“It totally tastes like something! It tastes like eco-friendly victory,” she said, smirking and taking another bite. Danny curiously took a bite of his, wrinkling his nose a little at the texture before swallowing.

 

“Actually, it kinda tastes like moldy water…” he said, shrugging and taking another bite. Sam and Tucker looked at him with shock and betrayal, respectively. He blinked, swallowing. “What?”

 

“Um, nothing, it’s just…”

 

“Dude, that’s the first thing we’ve seen you eat in like two weeks!” Tucker blurted out, covering his mouth with his hands right after the words left it. A dark blush spread over his cheeks, tinging his skin darker where his hands didn’t cover it.

 

Danny rolled his eyes, resting his head in his hand. “Dude, chill. I just haven’t been hungry lately, that’s all. I promise, I’ve been eating,” he said, neglecting to mention exactly  _ what  _ he’d been eating. He couldn’t exactly say he was full all day without actually eating anything.

 

Tucker nodded, removing his hands and looking away. He smiled sheepishly, fiddling with the back of his beret. “Alright, I mean, as long as you’re eating…” he said, blush lessening a bit. Danny laughed, blushing and rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand as his stomach growled loudly.

 

“Jeez, guess I’m hungrier than I thought…” he said, surprised. He finished his burger in record time, licking his lips and considering his wallet. Not enough for another meal… “Hey, Tuck… You gonna eat that?” he asked, motioning towards Tucker’s burger and sweet potato fries. Tucker blinked, shaking his head and pushing the tray towards Danny.

 

“N-No, it’s alright,” he said, sounding a little lost. Sam was looking at Danny like he’d grown a second head as he scarfed down Tucker’s burger and started on the fries.

 

“Sorry, I’m just  _ really  _ hungry now for some reason…” he said, popping a couple fries in his mouth. His eyes bugged out and he grabbed a napkin, wiping his hands frantically and coughing the fries into it. “What the  _ hell  _ was that?!” he rasped, staring wide-eyed at the crumpled napkin.

 

“T-They were sweet potato fries…” Sam stuttered, shocked. Danny had never had a problem with fries before, what happened? Danny blinked at her, rubbing his throat with his free hand.

 

“It burned…” he whispered, shocked. Sam bit her lip, digging in her backpack for something before looking up as the bell rang.

 

“Dammit! Sorry Danny, I’ll look up what could’ve happened later. For now just… stay away from the fries, alright?” she said, zipping up her backpack again and standing up. Danny nodded, getting up to follow her and ignoring the pitiful grumble his stomach made in protest.

 

“I’ll see you after History,” he said, waving goodbye to Sam and Tucker as he made his way out of the cafeteria. They waved back, going down a different hallway. He let out a sigh once they were gone, raking a hand through his hair. Before he could put it down, a hand grabbed his wrist roughly.

 

“Where ya goin,  _ Fenton?  _ I gotta bone t’pick with ya,” a voice sneered. Danny looked up…..and up and up and up. Looming behind him was the absolute  _ last  _ person he wanted to see right then. He frowned, narrowing his eyes in annoyance.

 

“What do you want, Dash? If you haven’t noticed, I’m in a bit of a hurry trying to get to class, not that you know what _that_ is,” Danny snapped sarcastically, trying to yank his wrist back. Dash just tightened his grip, earning a glare from the smaller boy.

 

“Shut it, Fenturd! Thanks to your little  _ girlfriend,  _ the school got rid of the meat! I’m a football player, I need protein! The rabbit food Manson put through ain’t enough! So guess who’s gonna pay for it?” Dash snarled, grabbing a fistful of Danny’s shirt and swinging him into a wall of lockers in an out of the way hallway. Danny glared up at him, fighting to avoid baring his teeth in defiance.

 

“The first person you found who was smaller than you?” he snarked, a smug warmth growing in his chest at Dash’s livid expression. He barely saw the fist coming, but he definitely heard the crack as his neck snapped hard to the left. He blinked, reaching up with his free hand to touch his cheek. He narrowed his eyes, wiping the blood away from his split lip. He glared out of the side of his swelling eye at Dash, finally letting his lip pull back to showcase his sharp fangs.

 

“Shit dude, what the fuck’s up with your teeth?!” Dash yelped, startled. His grip loosened and that was all the opening Danny needed. He wrenched his wrist free of Dash’s hand, stepping forward and driving his other fist hard into the jock’s ribcage. His sensitive ears picked up several loud snaps, a red haze descending over his vision as his lips pulled back into a grin.

 

“I’m done being your goddamn fall guy, Dash. Leave me the  _ fuck  _ alone or I’ll do worse than break a few of your ribs,” Danny snarled, absently licking away some of the blood pooling on his lower lip. Dash gasped in pain, collapsing to his knees and trying to spit out a glob of blood.

 

“Fuck…...you…..Fenton….” he wheezed, eyes wide as he struggled for breath. Danny clenched his fists tighter, pushing Dash to the ground with his foot. Adrenaline surged through his veins, bloodlust forcing his foot down harder on Dash’s shoulder. Another dull snap echoed through the quiet hallway, the silence further broken by Dash’s cry of pain.

 

“Didn’t you hear me,  _ Baxter?!  _ I think you’ll find I’m not that meek little loser you used to pick on in middle school. Things changed, and you better learn to swim before you start sinking,” Danny said harshly, eyes alight with a manic glee as his grin grew wider.

 

_ “LORD OF THE FLIES, MR. FENTON!  _ What are you  _ DOING?!”  _ Danny looked down towards the end of the hallway, snapping out of the animalistic rage that had taken over. Mr. Lancer stood at the far end of the hall, looking slightly green.

 

“I-I...W-what…?” Danny gasped, looking down and stumbling away from Dash. He tripped over his jeans, landing hard on his butt and scooting into a ball against the wall. He could faintly hear Lancer calling for help, but he ignored it in favor of trying to stave off the static crowding his ears.

 

What had he done…? He just wanted Dash to leave him alone, but…. _ ”I never wanted this to happen!” _ he whispered, tangling his hands in his hair and tugging harshly to try and ground himself. His knees were bathed in a harsh green light, and his feet were sunken into the floor like the tile had suddenly turned to jello. It was a testament to just how far gone Danny was when he didn’t even try and pull them out. He barely noticed Lancer in front of him, checking over Dash and still talking frantically into his cell phone.

 

_ “Yes, he’s still breathing, but he’s coughing up blood. I think one or two of his ribs may be broken. ……..The other boy? Yes, he’s here. He looks fine, but I can’t see his face.” _ __  
  


 

What would Tucker and Sam think? He just  _ barely  _ got them talking to him again, he couldn’t handle it if they suddenly left again. Oh god, what if he’d  _ killed  _ Dash?! He’d have to go to jail, it’d go on his permanent record, he wouldn’t be able to be an astronaut… What would his parents think?! They’d be so disappointed… Would they disown him?

 

_ “Mr. Fenton? Mr. Fenton, can you hear me?” _

 

Danny started to hyperventilate, hands twisting harder in his hair. His feet were back on top of the tile now, but he was too busy combating the tightness in his chest to notice. His life was ruined! And for what, getting Dash to finally leave him alone?!  _ ‘Was it worth it, dumbass?!’ _

 

_ “DANNY! Trauma and Recovery, Mr. Fenton, you have to snap out of it!” _

 

Danny blinked, finally managing to squash back the panic pounding in his ribcage. Now he just felt slightly numb as he caught his breath, all the horror and panic from before just completely gone. He didn’t have time to dwell on that, however, because Mr. Lancer was tilting his head back. Danny blinked up at him, dimly aware of a dull throbbing in his right eye.

 

“Are you alright, Mr. Fenton? You gave me quite a scare. What happened here? The truth, if you please,” Lancer said, the very picture of concern. Danny swallowed a couple times, trying to wet his parched throat. His hands drifted back down to his sides, changing course halfway to wrap around his stomach.

 

“I... I dunno...I just...I just wanted him t’leave me ‘lone….” he rasped, tongue feeling too thick for his mouth. Lancer raised an eyebrow, but accepted it.

 

“Can you walk? There’s going to be an ambulance coming any minute, so I’m going to need you to head to Principal Ishiyama’s office on your own, alright?” Lancer said, settling back on his haunches. Danny bit his lip, thinking for a second before nodding.

 

“Yeah, I th’nk so…” he mumbled, pulling himself to his feet. He wobbled a bit, but at least he was standing. Lancer nodded, standing up as well.

 

“I’m going to wait here to direct the paramedics this way, are you sure you can make it to the office on your own?” he asked. Danny nodded, waving away Lancer’s concern. He was already feeling stronger, the throbbing around his eye already dying down.

 

“Yeah, ’m fine,” he said, hiking his backpack up further on his shoulder before heading down the hallway to the office. He kept his head down, not wanting to answer any questions about his appearance. Some kids gave him curious looks as he passed by, but he tried to ignore them.

 

_ ‘They don’t know anything, calm down. Don’t make a scene.’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shit's finally going down


	7. Chapter 7: Interrogation Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS FOR: Guns, Zalgo text, Bomb scare, Mild panic attack, self-harm maybe???

Danny avoided the curious glance from the secretary, knocking on Principal Ishiyama's door gently. Every instinct was screaming at him to turn around, to run away and leave all of this behind, but he ignored them. Whatever punishment she dished out, he’d deserve. After all, he’d crossed the line from self-defense when he kicked Dash down. “Come in!” Danny opened the door, keeping his face blank and his eyes on the floor. He closed the door behind him, sitting stiffly in the plastic chair in front of the desk. “Do you know why you’re here, Mr. Fenton?” asked Principal Ishiyama. Danny shrugged, hunching smaller in his chair and playing with a loose thread on his shirt. Ishiyama sighed, shifting in her seat. Danny twitched when the rustling of paper and the squeak of old hinges filled the room, glaring at the thread in his hand.  
  
“Danny, if you don’t talk to me I’ll have to assume the worst. I don’t know any specifics, you know. All I know is that 911 was called because two students got in a fight. Now, I assume from the fact that there’s only one student in front of me right now that the other isn’t in a condition to move. Think about it, Danny. Do you really want me to come to the worst case scenario?” Ishiyama asked, her gentle tone sharply contrasting her harsh words. Danny grit his teeth, looking up at her through his bangs.

 

“.......no, I don’t want that….” he muttered, forcing each word out like it pained him to speak. He looked down again, steeling his nerves. “I didn’t mean to hurt him…….that badly…” he said, the last few words dropping in volume as his ears warmed from embarrassment and shame. Principal Ishiyama leaned forward in her chair, lacing her fingers together.

 

“That badly? So you admit that you _did_ want to hurt him?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Danny swallowed, looking away from her piercing gaze. It was times like these where she reminded him a bit of an eagle, zeroing in on her prey. He shrugged half-heartedly, chewing on his lip.

 

“Maybe just a little bit… I just wanted him to leave me alone…” he muttered, digging his fingernails into his arm. His stomach growled quietly when a sharp, coppery scent filled his nose. She raised an eyebrow, clicking a pen and scribbling something down. His head snapped up and he glared at the paper. “What are you writing?” he asked suspiciously, trying to see. She frowned, covering the paper with a folder.

 

“I don’t think that’s any of your business, Mr. Fenton. Why don’t we discuss what you mean by wanting Mr. Baxter to leave you alone?” Ishiyama said, giving him that _look_ again. Cold anger and paranoia swirled in Danny’s stomach, bile rising in his throat. He glared right back, digging his nails deeper into his skin.

 

“How about we don’t and say we did?” he snapped defensively, twitching as green started to edge his vision. He could feel the bone-numbing cold starting to flicker in his chest, directly opposite his heart. The chair next to him shattered, blue plastic scattering all over the thin grey carpet. Principal Ishiyama jolted in shock, staring at the space the chair used to occupy. Danny didn’t realize he was growling until the door slammed open and he stopped, the sound choked off like an old truck that ran out of gas. Danny jumped when the door bounced off of the wall, swinging back and smacking into a body lying on the floor. The person groaned, getting up.

 

“Thanks for getting the door open, Lamiers,” chuckled a gruff, masculine voice. Danny stiffened when a man in a police uniform strode into the room, stepping over the body on the floor. The guy on the floor, Lamiers, sat up, rubbing his head.

 

“S-Sorry, boss…” he said awkwardly, standing up. Danny narrowed his eyes at the two. Cops. Why did it have to be cops? Why were they even here?!  
  
“Ah, officers. Thanks for coming so quickly. Is Mr. Baxter alright?” Principal Ishiyama asked, standing up and shaking the unnamed officer’s hand. He smiled gently, though it didn’t reach his eyes.

 

“He will be. Whatever hit him really did a number on him though. Two broken ribs, a broken clavicle...Is this kid supposed to be here?” he trailed off, looking at Danny curiously. Danny swallowed, taking this chance to leave.

 

“I can go if you want I-I don’t _really_ need to be he-uRK!” he rambled, getting up and backing away towards the door. He was cut off when Ishiyama grabbed the collar of his shirt, stopping him in his tracks.

 

“I don’t think so. Sit down, Mr. Fenton,” she said sternly, depositing him back in the one remaining chair. He pouted, crossing his arms and wincing slightly when he pressed against the open welts under his hoodie sleeves. “To answer your question, Officer Meyers, he _is_ supposed to be here. This is Daniel Fenton, the boy that Mr. Baxter was fighting with.”

 

Officer Lamiers blinked in surprise. “This little noodle did all _that?!”_ he asked, earning a glare from Danny. Danny growled again, eyes flashing slightly.

 

“Wanna see what this _no͟͝odle̴_ can do with two minutes and a shard of plastic?” he snapped, baring his teeth. How dare this pathetic _human_ doubt him?! He’d show him what he could do! Nobody would _ever_ doubt him again, not if he had a say in it! He’d—

 

_“MR. FENTON!_ That’s _quite_ enough, thank you!” Ishiyama snapped, slamming a hand down on her desk. Danny jumped again, blinking. What the hell…? He rubbed his throat, certain his voice had dropped at _least_ two octaves in the middle of that sentence.

 

“Ooookaay… Alright kid, we’re going to need to take you to the station, alright?” Officer Meyers said carefully, holding up his hands placatingly. Danny narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

 

“I thought it was just something Principal Ishiyama was taking care of?” he said, glancing over towards her. The officer shook his head, slowly reaching for a pouch on his belt. Danny zeroed in on the motion, narrowing his eyes further.

 

“Sorry Mr. Fenton, but your fight with Baxter went far beyond what a school can deal with. Now, are you going to let me restrain you and come quietly, or do we need to do this the hard way?” Meyers asked, pulling out a set of handcuffs. Danny bit his lip, shifting uncomfortably in the chair.

 

“Seki… Kh, fine. I’ll go with you,” he sighed, glaring at the floor. He didn’t want to, but he wanted to be dragged out even less. He got out of the chair, reaching for his backpack before Lamiers stopped him.

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll get it,” he said, picking up the backpack and wincing as he struggled with the weight. “What the hell do you put in this thing, bowling balls?!” he grunted, finally managing to cradle the bag in his arms like an oddly purple infant. Danny looked at him strangely, barely feeling the cold metal of the cuffs click around his wrists.

 

“I just have my textbooks in there? A couple of notebooks too, but mostly textbooks. Is it really that heavy?” he asked curiously, following Lamiers out of the office. He shrugged, kicking open the door and holding it with his hip. Danny got the hint, shutting his mouth and shuffling forward. Meyers was holding onto his arm, guiding him outside. Now that they were outside Ishiyama’s office, a wall of noise hit Danny like a truck. Sirens, frantic babble, barked orders, radio static… Everything blended together into an agonizing cacophony, making him long for the relative peace of the office. He grit his teeth, trying to discreetly rub his ear on his shoulder as he was led out of the office.

 

“You good, kid?” Meyers asked. Danny shrugged, trying to block out the noise. Students were crowding the halls, finding whatever was going on much more interesting than what they were supposed to be learning. Danny scowled, looking away when whispers began to break out among the gathered kids.

 

_“Isn’t that Fenton?”_

_  
_ _"What’d he do this time? Obviously he didn’t just break a beaker or something.”_

__  
_  
_ _“Do you think he’s the one who hurt Dash?”_

 

_  
_ _“What, Fenton? Don’t be stupid! There’s no way that loser would be able to break_ **_Dash’s_ ** _bones!”_

__  
  
_“I dunno… Have you seen him?! He’s a real freak…”_

Danny growled, glaring at the floor. Just keep moving. Ignore them. They’re just words. Words can’t hurt you. Just words. They can’t hurt you can’t hurt you can’t hurt you can’t hurt you can't hurt you can’t hurt you can’t hurt you _cAN’T HURT YOU CAN’T HURT YOU **CAN’T HURT YOU!**_

 

Danny flinched violently when all the door windows shattered, the glass blowing outwards like bombs had just exploded in the classrooms. Meyers shoved him to the floor, pulling out a gun and glaring around the hallway. He backed up until a solid wall was behind him and Danny, motioning with his head for Lamiers to drop the bag and back him up. Danny’s eyes were nearly bugging out of his head in surprise, screams filling his ears and making his head throb painfully. Lamiers shouted something into his radio, keeping watch on the doors in Meyers’ blind spot.

 

_“What the hell?!”_

  
  
_“Everybody, get under your desks!”_

 

_“Dammit, I bet Fenton has_ **_something_ ** _to do with this…”_

 

_“Oh my god Wes, SHUT UP! Is now really the time?!”_

 

_“Look, I’m just sayin—hey! Watch where you’re going!”_  
  
People in thick padded suits raced down the halls, teams of two going into each classroom. Danny watched them run down the hall, the dull ache in his head fading to nearly nothing. He blinked, trying to get his bearings again. Danny looked up at Officer Meyers, wondering why he was protecting him. Meyers glanced back and shot him a tight smile. “Stay down there, kid. At least until we sort this out, alright? There could be a bomb in any of these classrooms,” he said, turning back to face the hallway.

 

Danny’s stomach dropped like a rock. Bombs?! Oh god, what had he done?! Had he hurt anyone? Was everyone alright? All the glass exploded outwards, but… He didn’t mean to do it! He tried to steady his breathing, twisting his hands in the cuffs so the metal dug into his skin. The sharp pain grounded him, the sharp stinging bringing him back to earth. He squeezed his eyes shut, breathing deeply through his nose. He’d already had one panic attack today, he didn’t really want another. He twitched when heavy boots clomped down the hall towards them, looking up when one of the people in the thick suits approached Meyers.

 

_“There was nothing there. I know it sounds crazy, but there weren’t any explosives in_ **_any_ ** _of the classrooms.”_

 

“Wh-Seriously?! Are you sure you guys didn’t miss anything?!” Meyers said, jolting in surprise. The bomb tech sighed, gesturing with annoyance.

 

_“You think we’d miss something like that?! There wasn’t a single desk out of place, and the interiors were perfectly intact. The outside windows were whole and none of the students were stunned, just annoyed. I don’t think it was a bomb, Meyers!”_

 

Meyers nodded, a troubled expression crossing his face for half a second before he sighed and shook it away. “Thanks anyway. Sorry for the scare, I just…haven’t seen anything like it before,” he sighed, putting his gun away. The bomb tech laughed, shrugging.

 

_“Hey, who knows? Maybe it was a ghost!”_ they teased, wiggling their fingers mockingly. Danny stiffened, but otherwise tried not to react. He had to get himself under control. He had to, or else someone _would_ get hurt…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRANSLATIONS:
> 
> Zalgo Text - noodle  
> Seki - Bastard
> 
> ended up having to rewrite this chapter's ending bc of something my dad told me lmao  
> also guess what you get 2 chapters in one night don't say i never give y'all anything


	8. Chapter 8: Interrogation Arc

Nearly fifteen minutes after Danny was taken to the station, neither of them had made any headway. Danny had told Officer Meyers his name, age, stuff like that, but Meyers didn’t ask anything else. Said he couldn’t, not without some form. Danny didn’t mind, less questions meant less things to lie about.

 

As of right now, they were locked in a staredown. “Is your mother usually this behind?” Meyers asked finally, breaking the silence. Danny shrugged, awkwardly scratching his nose.

 

“Not usually, unless something explodes. Maybe she got caught up in a work thing,” he said nonchalantly, slouching down in the chair. Meyers’ lips thinned, but he said nothing, instead opting to leave the room. Danny, left in silence, busied himself with staring at the patterns in the metal table.

 

\--

 

“Danny! I’m sorry I’m late one of the guns blew up and I lost track of time trying to clear up the lab...and...um?” Maddie rambled as soon as the door opened, trailing off when she noticed Danny’s frantic shushing motions. Meyers raised an eyebrow from behind Maddie, but said nothing. He led her to the chair next to Danny, retaking his place opposite them.

 

“Allow me to reintroduce myself. I’m Officer Brandon Meyers, ma’am. Thank you for coming,” he said politely, the very picture of professionalism. Maddie’s eyes widened behind her goggles when she noticed the cuffs encircling Danny’s wrists. She shot him a questioning glance, removing the goggles to let them hang around her neck. He smiled sheepishly, shrugging. Meyers sat down again, this time focused on Maddie. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, Mrs. Fenton, but today Daniel and another student got into a fight at his school. The other boy was sent to the hospital, but he should make a full recovery,” Meyers explained seriously, lacing his fingers together.

 

Maddie gasped, one gloved hand coming up to cover her mouth. “Wait,  _ Danny  _ sent the other boy to the hospital? Without a single scratch on him?!” she asked incredulously, glancing over at Danny. He bit his lip, running his tongue over where the split had been. His eyes widened when he couldn’t find anything more than a thin scar, when he’d been sure there was an open wound not even an hour ago.

 

“B-But I  _ was _ hit! I-I had a black eye and everything, just ask Mr. Lancer!” he protested, looking at Meyers pleadingly. This wasn’t looking good for him. Why did his freak biology have to kick in  _ now  _ of all times?! Meyers raised an eyebrow.

 

“We would, except for the fact that Mr. Lancer never saw the fight, only the aftermath. When he gave his statement, he made no mention of any injuries that  _ you  _ had.” Danny swallowed, hands trembling so badly that the metal links on the handcuffs started to rattle softly.

 

“I...I swear, Dash punched me first. I-I’m not lying, why would I lie about this?!” he cried, panic seizing his chest in a vicegrip. He looked pleadingly at his mother, who bit her lip indecisively.  _ “Eomma!  _ Please, you gotta believe me!” he pleaded, tears glistening in his eyes. Meyers sighed.

 

“Kid, look… It’s your word against the evidence. Baxter isn’t talking and you don’t have any injuries that I can see. So unless your shirt is hiding them, then…I’m sorry, but a kid your size getting into a fight  _ that  _ bad and walking away unhurt?” he said rhetorically, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Danny…” Maddie sighed, eyes glistening. Something in Danny’s gut twisted at the betrayal and disappointment painting her features. Why wouldn’t she believe him?! Meyers bit his lip, looking like he  _ really  _ didn’t want to talk about this next part, but soldiered on.

 

“There’s also the matter of the broken chair and shattered windows at the school. Honestly, I’m not sure what happened there, or why nobody got hurt. Care to explain?” he asked, staring intensely at Danny from across the table. Danny subconsciously leaned back a bit, a cold sweat starting to form on his back.

 

“No, I don’t want to talk about it,” he said, trying to sound as intimidating as possible. Meyers sighed, settling back in the chair.

 

“Kid, look, we need an expl—”

 

“TOE͏J̴O͝RA͟, JO̷T-̛D̢AȨGA̷RI! ͟I SAID I D͟ON’T̴ WANT͡ ҉T̨O ͏T͘ALK̡ ҉AB͢OU̴T̨ IT̛!” Danny snarled, shooting up and slamming his hands on the metal table. The cuffs rattled loudly, the sound drowned out by Danny’s harsh breathing. Frost spilled out from under his palms, creeping across the table. The lights flickered, filaments groaning in protest. Meyers’ face closed off and he stood as well, gathering the papers he’d brought with him into a folder.

 

“Come on, Mrs. Fenton. I think we’re done here,” he said coldly, putting the file down and pulling something out of his pocket. He walked over to Danny, grabbing one of his wrists and unlocking it before twisting his arms behind his back. Danny hissed in pain, shivering slightly as his cheek hit the cold metal of the table. The cuff clicked around his wrist again, now pinning his arms behind his back. Meyers shoved him back down into the chair, pinning him there with a glare before leading a confused Maddie out of the room. Danny hung his head, exhausted and in pain. What had he done…?

 

\--

 

“What’s going on? W-Why did you cuff Danny like that?” Maddie asked, whirling around to face Meyers as soon as the door clicked shut behind them. Myers sighed, all the tension escaping him like a popped balloon.

 

“Look Mrs. Fenton, I’m really sorry I was that rough. But your son…There’s something… _ spooky _ about him. He put a boy twice his size in the hospital with two broken ribs, a broken collarbone, and a nasty concussion, all without getting a scratch! He somehow blew up twenty glass windows at the same time, and shattered a solid plastic chair, all without any evidence of explosives. And that little stunt in there…Didn’t you see?” Meyers asked, lips twisting when Maddie shook her head mutely, eyes wide in horror.

 

“He left dents in the metal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zalgo text: TOEJORA, JOT-DAEGARI! I SAID I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT!  
> Korean: Go to hell, dickhead!
> 
> also if I'm using any of these insults wrong please feel free to correct me I know like five words and a couple food items in Korean =w=;


	9. Chapter 9: Interrogation Arc (END)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SHIT THIS IS LATE I'M SORRY SCHOOL STARTED AND EVERYTHING GOT CRAZY BUSY BECAUSE MY MOM IS INSANE AND MADE ME SIGN UP FOR LIKE 4 AP CLASSES
> 
> ANYWAY HERE'S YOUR CHAPTER, CHAPTER 10 IS IN THE WORKS

Danny must’ve sat there in the chilly interrogation room for half an hour before someone finally came to get him. He jerked out of his half-doze, looking over at the door when it opened. “About time someone finally came to get me. Didn’t realize putting kids on ice was allowed,” he said sarcastically, rolling his shoulders to try and loosen the knots.

 

“Pfft…”

 

“Shut it, Lamiers. Fenton, I’m afraid you won’t be going home tonight, alright?” Meyers said, striding over to Danny and pulling him out of the chair by his upper arm. He ignored Danny’s protests and demands for information, leading him out into the hallway. Lamiers took pity on him, leaning over to whisper in his ear.

 

“Don’t mind Meyers, he’s just grumpy. We’re taking you to a holding cell until transport gets here. You’ll be having a trial in a couple of days, since Baxter hasn’t woken up yet. He’s out of surgery, just still unconscious,” Lamiers explained, glancing back nervously at Meyers. Danny smiled gratefully, feeling like he’d just swallowed a rock. His stomach stopped growling, somehow filling up despite not having anything to eat in almost five hours.

 

Danny lowered his head, staring at the boot-scuffed tile as he was led downstairs by the tight grip on his arm. His lips were pressed in a thin line, a fragile dam holding back the raging emotions within. He was using all his focus on not blowing the lights or trembling in fear. He didn’t even have the attention to spare to pay attention to where he was going.

 

He was jerked to a halt about three levels down, startling him out of his thoughts. He blinked at the small concrete room he was standing in front of, everything about it defying every movie he’d ever seen. Instead of thick metal bars, there was a solid-looking metal door, with a small rectangular window near the top. The floor wasn’t dirty concrete, instead it was dingy monochrome linoleum. Danny glanced back at the officers doubtfully. Meyers ignored him, pulling open the door and pulling him inside, closing it before Lamiers could come in. “Alright kid, here’s the deal. We both know you’ve got some kind of spooky shit goin’ on. I think we both also know that if you really didn’t want to be here, you could bust out the second I turn my back. I’m here to warn you that if you do, there’s cameras all down this hallway and two trained guards at either end. I’m trusting you to stay here. Just until we come back to get you, alright?” he said, voice low. He gripped Danny’s shoulders, looking into his eyes intently, as if searching for any thoughts of escaping. Danny looked back, shocked at the odd mixture of determination and resignation he saw.

 

It took him a few tries to get his voice to work, but eventually he managed to swallow the lump. “I-I promise, I won’t bust out. Here, jail, juvie, whatever. I know I deserve this, after what happened…” he said softly, staring into Meyers’ eyes the entire time to try and convey just how sincere he was. Meyers smiled sadly, patting Danny’s shoulder roughly before pulling the handcuff key out of his pocket. He turned Danny around, unlocking one of the cuffs before grabbing Danny’s wrist gently.

 

“I’m trusting you. No funny business,” he said, waiting for Danny to nod before unlocking the other cuff. Danny turned to face him, absently rubbing his wrists. Now that they were out of the cuffs, the deep cuts were already starting to scab over.

 

“Later, Officer,” Danny said, waving slightly as Meyers left the room. As soon as the door clicked shut again, he collapsed to the floor and sighed. “I have a bad feeling about this…” he muttered, pulling his knees to his chest and staring off into space. He wondered if his mom had told the rest of the family yet. How did they react? Were they mad? Confused? Disappointed?

 

Jazz would probably try to psychoanalyze the situation, trying to find whatever “stressors” set him off. Maybe she would think he lied about not starting the fight. His mom certainly seemed to think so. The way she looked at him… It hurt _so_ **_bad,_ ** knowing she thought he’d attacked Dash for no reason. He squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing at them furiously with the sleeve of his hoodie. He wouldn’t cry, not here. Then he stopped. Why did he even _care?_ It’s not like anyone could see him… Besides, they all thought he was some sort of violent delinquent anyway, not like a little crying would destroy a reputation he didn’t even _want…_ Danny sniffled again, this time letting the tears fall.

 

“Eomma… Appa… Nuna… I’m so sorry…” he whimpered, burying his face in his arms. He stayed like that for a while, whimpering apologies until he ran out of tears to shed, that familiar numbness coming back. He frowned, but welcomed the hollow feeling in his chest. Anything was better than this, than worrying about “what if”s and situations that could or couldn’t be. He looked up as the door creaked open, wiping his eyes on his damp sleeve.

 

“Hey kid… They’re here. C’mon, get up, alright?” Meyers said softly, holding out a hand towards Danny like he was some sort of skittish animal. Danny smiled gratefully, taking the hand and stretching out his stiff muscles. “Alright, time to go back in the cuffs,” Meyers said softly, pulling them out of a leather pouch on his belt. Danny wasn’t sure why Meyers was being so quiet and _nice,_ but he wasn't complaining. He silently put his arms back behind his back, frowning when he still didn’t feel the chill of the metal. He glanced back when Meyers gripped his arm, surprised to see them clipped around his wrists. He didn’t have time to think on it though, because the second he was outside the cell he was handed over to two muscled cops waiting for him. His lips twisted, but none of the now-familiar anger or apprehension made an appearance. Seems whatever numbed him out in the cell was still taking effect. Instead of protesting, he just glared impassively ahead, his eyes duller than ever. The two new guys frogmarched him outside, jerking him along roughly whenever he went too slow. The constant tugging started to wear on Danny’s nerves, but he bit back the vicious snarl threatening to break free.

 

“Can you quit tugging on me like that?” he snapped finally, glaring up at the guy on his right. The man smirked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Tugging you like what?” he asked, mocking confusion and mirth coloring his voice. Danny scowled, looking away again.

 

“Nevermind,” he spat. It wasn’t worth getting worked up over. There were too many things to break out here, too many people that could get hurt. Instead, he just glared at the ground the entire way to the van. He stumbled as he was pulled roughly into the back and pushed into a chair, scowling at the door as it was slammed shut. “Asshole…” he snarled under his breath, trying to get comfortable on the bench. He had no idea where they were taking him, but anywhere was better than here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korean:
> 
> Eomma: Mom  
> Appa: Dad  
> Nuna: Sister (specifically older sister, used if you're a boy.)
> 
>  
> 
> (PLEASE READ)  
> please don't yell at me about the asshole cop or say that all cops are like that because they're not and i will cry i promise i already get enough of that "cops did nothing wrong" or "all cops are evil" shit at home, i don't need it here too. take your discourse somewhere else please... i'm not trying to be rude or anything I just... Don't want to deal with arguments. 
> 
> I write this fic for fun and to destress, not to comment on America's fucked up justice system. I know it's flawed, and I know that some people know that better than others. I just...wanted a break from all the arguing, I guess... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend anyone, and I didn't even think about how that sounded. I'm sorry.


	10. Chapter 10: Juvie Arc

Despite the hard bench and uncomfortable position of his arms, Danny still managed to doze off. He jerked awake when the door opened with a loud squeal, nearly falling off of the bench. “Wake up sunshine, we’re here,” said one of the cops. Danny grumbled, stretching out his cramped muscles as best he could before hopping out of the van.

 

“So, what’s gonna happen from here?” he yawned, teeth glinting in the dying light of the setting sun. He stumbled when the officer gave him a small shove, walking forward tiredly.

 

“You’re gonna sit here until Baxter wakes up and gives a statement, then we’ll see. I’d get comfortable though, who knows how long he’ll be asleep,” they said, leading Danny inside the chilly detention center. Danny frowned, once again hit with a wall of noise when they walked inside. He did his best to block it out, instead trying to focus on the floor. He counted twenty tiles and a gum stain before they stopped at a door. The guard holding Danny readjusted his grip while the second officer unlocked the door. They brought him into a small room, closing the door behind him before unlocking the cuffs. Danny stretched his sore muscles, rubbing his scabbed wrists gently.

 

“Arms up,” said the second officer gruffly, tapping his foot impatiently. Danny lifted his arms exaggeratedly slowly, smirking slightly when he saw the officer’s face purple slightly in anger.

 

“Whatever you say,  _ sir,”  _ Danny said sarcastically, holding back a snicker. Man, this is too easy. He flinched when the officer behind him flicked the back of his head, rolling his eyes and staying still as the other one roughly patted him down. He took a pencil and a pair of earbuds out of Danny’s sweater pocket, dropping them in a plastic box and shoving it through a small flap in the wall.

 

“Arms behind your back.” Danny didn’t move fast enough, and ended up getting his arm twisted painfully for his trouble. He scowled as the now-familiar cuffs clicked shut around his wrists, clasped too tight and pinching slightly when he moved.

 

“Too tight…” he muttered, wincing. The officer who did the cuffing rolled his eyes and readjusted them so they weren’t pinching the skin anymore, but still kept them just as tight as before. He motioned to the other guy, swiping his keycard and leading Danny into a room that looked vaguely like one you’d find in a doctor’s office. A long desk was situated behind a thick pane of Plexiglas, with multiple harried workers all toiling away behind it. The officer holding Danny marched him up to one of the desks, sitting him down in a plastic chair in front of the window.

 

“Got another one for ya, Martha. Punched out a kid at his school,” the officer said, switching their grip to Danny’s shoulder. Danny glared up through his bangs at Martha, face still set in an annoyed scowl.

 

“Really? Oh my god, how bad? Darlin’, you gotta tell me tha details on your break later!” Martha gasped, covering her mouth daintily with one hand. She had a thick Southern accent, somehow both matching and clashing with her bright red curls and fake nails. Danny raised an eyebrow, ears ringing with the pitch of her voice. The officer laughed, scratching the back of their head.

 

“Don’t worry Mar, I will. Just put him through, for now,” they said, loosening their grip a bit when Danny still didn’t so much as twitch. He rolled his eyes, taking the time to untense his shoulders. Martha typed something into the computer, the loud keyboard grating on Danny’s nerves.

 

“Alright honey, can you tell me your name?” she chirped, giving him a too-wide grin. Danny wrinkled his nose, but nodded anyway.

 

“....Daniel Jae Fenton,” he said hoarsely, hesitating a bit as he tried to remember which name was on his birth certificate. She nodded, clacking away again.

 

“And your age? Birthday?” Danny sighed, already bored. Just how many answers did they  _ need? _

 

\--

 

After a long and arduous interrogation and an even more tedious wait, Danny was finally taken somewhere new. The handcuffs were taken off again, but that didn’t mean he was just left alone. He had his fingerprints taken before being led to a screen in front of a camera to get a mugshot. He felt like his mind was a million miles away, barely functioning enough to follow directions. Even the strip search and shower didn’t register that much. He didn’t fully “wake up” until he was being cuffed again, somehow having gotten dressed without realizing it. “Finally back with us, kid? Good. I have some stuff I need to explain to you before I take you in,” said the officer. Danny nodded, tilting his head slightly. “So, you’re classified as a moderate-risk inmate. Don’t fight, don’t talk back, and listen when the guards tell you to do something. You’ll have a roommate, try to get along. Got all that?” he asked, looking sternly down at Danny. He nodded, not looking up. “Good. Come on.”

 

Danny was led through the halls, ignoring curious stares and whispered rumors the others probably thought he couldn’t hear. He glared at the floor, once again counting tiles to block out the noise. He was led through a maze of winding hallways, eventually stopping at a door labeled with a large block letter  **D.** “This is your unit, and where you’ll be staying most of the time. This way,” the officer explained, swiping his card and leading Danny down the hall. He led Danny deeper into the unit, past cells both empty and filled with curious faces, some looking as young as 12. They stopped in front of a cell halfway through the block, containing a tall figure clad in the same red scrubs everyone else in this block wore. The guard opened the door with a loud squeal, one that made Danny’s ears ring. “Get up Gale, you’ve got a new roommate,” he barked, unlocking Danny’s shackles before shoving him inside. The guard smirked sadistically as he closed the door. “Good luck, gook,” he hissed, locking the door before walking away. Danny scowled, but didn’t comment. No point, anyway. He stiffened as he heard the bed creaking behind him.

  
“So, you’re the new guy?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is this asshole guard gonna be a recurring character good lord I hope not


	11. Chapter 11: Juvie Arc

“So, you’re the new guy?” The voice was male, deeper than Danny’s and less nasally. He sounded about 16, and rather tired. Danny decided to just bite the bullet, turning around to meet the person he’d have to get along with for who knows how long. Gale sighed, dragging a hand tiredly down his pasty face. “Look, when I ask you something I don’t do it for the hell of it. If I didn’t want an answer, I’d talk to the bedpost. I’ll ask one more time: you’re the new guy, right? Hell, do you even speak English?” That snapped Danny out of his daze, blank expression twisting into an annoyed scowl.

 

_ “So  _ sorry for trying to take in the fact that I’m in juvie now,  _ Your Highness,”  _ Danny spat sarcastically, balling his fists so tightly the ragged edges of his nails dug into his palms like tiny knives. He was seething, all the anger and sorrow he’d ignored for the last few hours coming back to the forefront of his mind. Green tinged the edges of his vision for the second time that day, the aching chill in his chest licking at his heart. He noticed Gale’s eyes widen in surprise as his breath started coming out in short, quick puffs, visible in the chilly air of the cell.

 

“W-What the hell are you doing, you  _ freak?!”  _ he yelped, shivering violently and rubbing his arms. Ice was beginning to creep over the hems of his clothes, stiffening the loose cloth like it was dipped in starch. Danny stalked forward, backing the other up against the wall before pinning him there with a scarred arm across his chest.

 

“Let  _ me  _ make something clear now. When you expect me to listen, make sure it’s something worth listening to. Or else you’re gonna get a little more than just the  _ cold shoulder  _ from me, got it?” Danny hissed, somehow managing to tower over Gale despite being almost a foot and a half shorter. Gale nodded frantically, his lips beginning to turn blue. Danny smiled childishly before taking a step back and reigning in his emotions. “Glad we’re on the same page. I’m Danny,” he said, holding out a hand to shake. Gale swallowed visibly, shakily pumping Danny’s hand once before hastily letting go.

 

“J-Jason,” he stuttered, eying Danny warily. Danny just gave him another smile and flopped down on the empty bunk on the other wall, across from Jason’s. He turned over, yawning and snuggling into the thin blanket. His belly was warm and full, and didn’t seem to be getting any emptier any time soon. Danny licked his lips, a sickly sweet aftertaste making him frown. He swore he’d tasted it before…

 

\--

 

He woke to the sound of a bell, more of a buzzer, really. “Yo, new kid. That's the food bell, if you're hungry I'd get up. It won't ring again until tomorrow morning,” Jason said, seemingly recovered from his scare the night before. Or he was faking it. Danny discreetly sniffed the air, that sickly sweet scent once again on his tongue. Definitely faking it.

 

“I'm alright, I'm not that hungry. I'll probably just go back to sleep…” he yawned, rolling over to face Jason. He shrugged, watching the hallway.

 

“Your loss.” The guard from last night walked up to their cell, swiping his keycard. All the doors in the hallway opened up, swinging outward with a loud buzzer as an accompaniment. Danny winced, shoving his head under the pillow to muffle the noise. He jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder unexpectedly, hand slipping through the bed in his surprise.

 

“Get up Fenton, you have a visitor.” Danny peeked out from under the pillow, blinking when he saw it was the nice guard talking to him. He sat up, positioned in such a way that it pulled his arm out from the mattress while still keeping it hidden.

 

“A visitor…? Is it my parents?!” he asked, suddenly wide awake as the words registered. The guard looked away briefly before looking back at Danny and smiling, but Danny still felt hesitance and anxiety settle in his stomach.

 

“Not….Not exactly. Just come with me,” they said, taking a step back. Danny frowned, but got up. Maybe it was Meyers…? Did Dash wake up? Or….was he  _ not  _ going to wake up…?

 

The guard led him back to the exit of Block D before stopping him. “I need to put these on you before we go to the visitor's room, since D doesn't have one. Hold out your hands, alright?” they explained, pulling a pair of handcuffs out of a pouch on their belt. Danny nodded, holding out his hands.

 

“So what's your name, anyway?” he asked as the cuffs were once again clicked around his wrists and attached to the chain around his waist. The guard looked surprised he'd asked, hesitating for a moment before answering.

 

“Oh, um…you can call me Alex. Why ask all of a sudden?” they said, leading him back out into the hallway. Danny shrugged slightly, following Alex through the labyrinthine corridors.

 

“Just curious. I like you, so I wanted something to call you. Is… Is that okay…?” he asked, suddenly overcome by anxiety. ‘ _ You fucked up Fenton, good job you little shit so much for keeping your head do-’  _

 

“Yeah, it's totally fine! I was just surprised, nobody's asked me what my name is before now. It's… Flattering, I guess?” They shrugged, swiping their card on another keypad. “I'm new, so nobody here really respects me, neither the kids nor the other officers. It's nice, having someone be polite for a change…” they added conversationally, clamming up as they passed a security desk, suddenly a lot stiffer and more subdued. The pleasant warmth in Danny's stomach suddenly turned cold, but not uncomfortable. “Anyway, just go through this door. I'll be right outside, and the room is monitored by cameras and microphones. I've been given instructions by Officer Meyers from Amity Park PD to inform you of this to deter, and I quote, ‘any spooky shit’ from happening,” they said, stiff and formal as the officer that checked him into the station in Amity. Danny scowled, any sense of easy camaraderie he'd had brutally ripped away.

 

“Yeah, whatever. Do I need to keep these on?” he asked, rattling the cuffs slightly. They nodded, swiping their card again and opening the plain wooden door. Danny walked into the room, flinching slightly when the door shut with a loud thud. He kept his head high, gaze cool and looking straight ahead until he sat down in the metal chair across from the visitors. Only then did he look up, and who he saw made his normally light brown skin pale dramatically in fear.

 

“Hello,  _ Fenton. _ Care to explain to me how a shrimp like you managed to put my son in the hospital?” Danny swallowed nervously. Facing one angry teenage Baxter was hard enough. Facing two angry adult Baxters was absolutely  _ terrifying. _


	12. Chapter 12: Juvie Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry i took so long to update, chapter 13 is kicking my ass and i wanted to have that done before updating but oh well you guys have waited long enough i guess

Danny twisted his fingers together as he tried to think of an answer to Mrs. Baxter's question. “I…I don't know, it just  _ happened,” _ he finally managed to choke out, staring at the table. He jumped when a hand slammed down on the table, his heart leaping into his throat in a fluttery panic.

 

“Dammit boy, that's not an answer! The doctors said his ribs nicked his lungs. He's lucky to be  _ alive  _ right now, much less awake!” Mr. Baxter roared, something that looked suspiciously like tears glittering in his eyes. Danny startled back, sucking in a sharp breath. Dash almost _ died?!  _ He swallowed a couple times to dislodge the lump in his throat, hands trembling.

 

“I didn't know! I didn't know I hurt him that bad, I just wanted him to leave me alone! I was tired of him picking on me all the time!” he yelled, voice shaky as he tried to defend himself. He cried out in pain as a ringed hand connected sharply with his face, trying reflexively to bring his hands up to cradle his throbbing cheek before they were abruptly halted by the chain connecting his hands to his waist. A couple tears spilled out of his eyes as he warily watched Mrs. Baxter, who was glaring at him angrily and nursing a reddened palm.

 

“How _ dare _ you?” she hissed, anger and pain written on her face. “How dare you insinuate my Dash is a bully?!” she snarled, looking like she was gearing up to smack him again. Danny winced as his tears stung the cut on his cheek, glaring right back at her.

 

_ “Insinuate?!  _ I'm not _ insinuating _ anything! Ever since middle school Dash has been tormenting me and my friends, along with a couple other kids in school. I was eleven years old and had to explain to my sister why I had a black eye and missing teeth whenever we got grades handed back! Your brainless bitch of a son has been making my life  _ hell  _ for the last four years, and everyone but the fucking blind-bat faculty knows it! I don't have to insinuate _ shit, _ it's all right there on the table!” Danny raged, shooting out of the chair and baring his teeth angrily at the two in front of him. One of the long florescent light strips in the ceiling exploded, showering the stunned Baxters with shattered plastic and glass. The door slammed open and two officers barreled through, grabbing Danny by the elbows and dragging him out of the room. He snarled insults, thrashing and fighting the entire way out. Finally, the officer on his left had had enough.

 

“Shut it unless you want some time alone to think, Fenton!” she snapped, tightening her grip. Danny complied reluctantly, muttering mutinously under his breath instead of shouting, but still fighting to get free as he was dragged backwards back towards D block. The familiar numbness was creeping up on him, threatening to drown out the fiery anger that made him feel more alive than he had in  _ months.  _

 

The cuffs were unlocked before he was taken back to his cell, only to be reattached behind his back. The officers tugged him along, one keeping a tight grip on his arm as the other unlocked the cell. Jason had returned from the cafeteria at this point, and was lounging on his bed. “Against the wall with your hands where I can see them, Gale!” barked the officer holding Danny. Jason raised an eyebrow, only to have his eyes widen when he noticed the position Danny was in. She shoved Danny through the opened door, causing him to stumble for a few steps before she slammed the door shut and relocked it. “You're lucky Illinois doesn't do solitary for juveniles, Fenton. I can guarantee if you pulled that stunt as an adult, you wouldn't be seeing your roomie again for a  _ very _ long time,” she snarled angrily, motioning to her partner before stalking away. Danny glared at her back, calling out a few choice words before turning back to Jason.

 

“What’re you staring at, babo?” he snapped, still wound up from the adrenaline high. Jason moved away from the wall carefully, giving Danny a wide berth as he made his way back to his bunk.

 

“Dude, the hell did you  _ do?  _ I've never seen Jackson  _ that _ angry since one of the Cs made a break for it last spring!” he asked, eyes still wide and slightly terrified.

 

Danny snorted, sitting down on his own bunk with a huff. “Oh, you know, got slapped for telling the truth. Insulted a kid in front of his parents, insulted the faculty of my old school, and exploded a light strip. Probably yelled a death threat or two in there somewhere,” he said tiredly, smirking bitterly. Jason gaped at him incredulously, before standing up and reaching out towards him. Danny shrunk back on the bed, eying Jason warily. “Hey, woah, what're you doing?!” he yelped, struggling to push Jason away without any hands. He'd read horror stories about prison facilities, and he  _ really _ didn't wanna be one of them. Jason came closer still, and Danny's panic level spiked. “I said,  **_BACK OFF!”_ ** he screamed….though honestly it sounded more like a wail. Jason stumbled back several feet, hands clamped over his ears. Danny huddled up in a corner, pulling his knees to his chest and watching Jason suspiciously. He was trembling violently, more tears threatening to fall. He knew his eyes were probably glowing the same poisonous green they usually were when freaky stuff like this happened, but at this point he was too scared to care. 

 

“That confirms it, then…you really are some kinda fuckin’ sideshow freak. The hell’s your deal, anyway? The glowing green eyes, the ice, and now this? What are you, some kinda shitty Jack Frost knockoff?” Jason croaked out finally, staring at him in unconcealed terror.

 

Danny glared through his tears, some dark and feral part of him glad he could still make Jason flinch with just a look. The numbness was back, and he welcomed it this time. The sweet taste he'd associated with terror mixed oddly well with the spicer flare of anger and the sourness of fear, but he'd rather the comforting numbness to any of these. “Like I'd tell you. What the hell makes you think I trust you, dipshit?” he snorted, pulling his knees tighter to his chest. His face itched, and he was fairly certain that new scars were showing up. At least his cheek didn't hurt anymore, thanks to his freaky healing speed.

 

“Because right now, I'm your only choice. There's nobody else here for you. Those power-happy jackasses sure as hell don't give a shit about us, and I'm the only person you'll seeing aside from cops for a really long time. If you don't wanna go crazy, I'd suggest you start talking,” Jason said, wiping a trail of drying blood away from his nose.

 

Danny scowled, annoyed that Jason was right. Sure he could _ technically _ see other people through the reinforced Plexiglas door, but that didn't mean he could hear them that well. Jason was his only option, honestly. “Fine. What do you want to know?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> might not update for a while. like i said, chapter 13 isn't coming along that great, and i'm not doing so hot either. i'll try to have it up before november, but no promises.
> 
> KOREAN:
> 
> babo - stupid


	13. Chapter 13: Juvie Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry, i've kept you guys waiting long enough. chapter 14 still isn't done, but have this for now i guess

Jason rolled his eyes, flopping back onto his bed. “Everything. Why your eyes glow, how you managed to ice the room over, and what the deal was with that freaky wail thing.” He rolled over to face Danny, propping his head up in his hand. “I’m not giving up until I get an answer, so start talking.” Danny frowned, putting his legs down slowly and leaning back against the wall.

 

“That’s…..a long story,” he said carefully, biting his lip. Jason snorted, waving his free hand around to gesture to the cell.

 

“I’ve got nothing but time. Start from the beginning,” he said, settling back further into his thin mattress. Danny glared at him, but started talking anyway.

 

“It all started when my parents built a portal to a place they called the Ghost Zone. They’re...um... let’s call them ‘ghost hunters’, for want of a better term. Anyway, my friends and I thought the portal was a hot tub, so they were understandably upset that it wasn’t. When it didn’t turn on, my friends turned on me. Sam dared me to go in it,” he said, tapping his fingers together anxiously. Jason sat up, wide-eyed.

 

“Wait, and you  _ listened?!  _ Hell, even if it didn’t work, it was still a fuckin’ deathtrap!” Jason sputtered, looking like he was offended by the very idea of going into a dangerous maybe-portal. Danny frowned. Looking back, it  _ was  _ pretty dumb.

 

“I had a hazmat suit on….” he protested, losing his train of thought. He shook his head, clearing his throat. “Anyway, I guess I hit something when I was climbing into it, because the next thing I knew I was being shocked with thousands and thousands of volts of electricity. When I woke up, I was floating in a green tunnel.” His breath came shaky and slow as he remembered the pain and confusion, but he soldiered on. “I… When I climbed out of the tunnel, my friends were there. They were scared of me… Of what I’d become, after I…” His voice broke, and tears came unbidden to his eyes. “...after I died.”   
  
Jason stiffened, paling slightly. “D-Died…? But… You seem alive to me…” he croaked, fear overflowing in his every word. Danny laughed, sharp and broken.

 

“Do I? Do normal,  _ alive  _ people have the strength to punch through walls? Can normal people make windows and lights explode without bombs? Can normal people  _ ice over rooms?”  _ he asked sarcastically, balling up his fists. Jason shook his head mutely, and Danny sighed, calming down again. “Nevermind. Ever since then, I’ve been having paranormal stuff happen around me all the time. That’s what’s up with me,” he said, leaning back against the concrete wall. Jason blinked, disbelief barely hidden in his eyes as he subtly edged away from Danny.

 

“Alright, I’m gonna be straight with you. If it weren’t for the fact I  _ saw you do it,  _ I’d think you were crazy. It’s only thanks to you flipping your fucking lid last night that I believe you.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “So, what else can you do? Like, aside from blowing shit up and making ice,” Jason asked. Danny blinked.

 

“Well, I can go invisible and walk through stuff sometimes. I can’t really control it yet though. I can also  _ maybe  _ transform into a different form? I haven’t tried though…” he said, trying to think. He had been so focused on what kept happening accidentally, that he hadn’t given any thought to what he could do to himself.

 

Jason looked at him like he was an idiot. “Well, you’ve got all the time in the world. Give  _ something  _ a shot, just...nothing that’ll get us in trouble,” he said, looking a bit interested. Danny wondered at the fact that he didn’t question the existence of ghosts a bit more, but wasn’t complaining.

 

“I guess I could try transforming into that other form I mentioned? Just… Don’t freak out, okay?” he said, standing up with a little difficulty. Jason stood as well, glancing up at a corner of the room and frowning for a split second. He scowled suddenly, shoving Danny back into the corner he had been glaring at. He shoved Danny into the corner, blocking him in with an arm on either side of his head. He glanced behind him, seeing only the concrete wall. “Hey, what the hell?!” Danny snarled, but Jason shushed him. He leaned in close to Danny’s ear, speaking in a lower tone than normal.

 

“There’s a camera right above us. We’re in the blind spot. I’m assuming you don’t want your other form recognized if you ever need to use it, so shut up and trust me,” he muttered, just loud enough for Danny to hear. Now that he thought about it, it made sense. Whoops.

 

Danny nodded slightly, shutting up. He concentrated on the cold feeling in his chest, green edging in on his vision. Something snapped inside of him, and the green overtook his sight for a split second before fading into what looked like a washed out, bluer version of the cell. Jason had visibly stiffened, fear apparent in his eyes. He inhaled on reflex, suddenly assaulted with all kinds of tastes. Sweet, spicy, sour, even one that tasted like an old hot dog. He narrowed his eyes, glaring at the human in front of him,  _ daring  _ to cage him in.

 

“Danny? Hey, snap out of it!” Jason hissed, glancing up nervously before returning his gaze to the other. Phantom grinned darkly, pointed tongue flicking out to lick his lips. Jason grabbed his shoulders, pushing him down and slamming him back against the wall. The movement shocked Phantom, ectoplasm staining the concrete behind him when his head connected sharply with the wall. He snarled, a crackling ball of what looked like green lightning starting to form in his gloved hand.

 

_ ‘No… No! This is wrong! Go back, go back, GO BACK!’  _ He stiffened, that hated warmth seeping into his core and threatening to chase him out. He tried to shove away his pesky humanity, but to no avail. The lightning fizzled out as the warmth overtook him, and he dropped to the floor as he suddenly reverted to human. Danny blinked up as Jason dazedly, only semi-aware of his hands being once again bound behind his back. “Now do you see why I don’t do that often?” he asked dryly, chuckling.


	14. Chapter 14: Juvie Arc

“Dude, that was… Wow. Um, let’s sit back down, in case they get suspicious.” Jason grabbed Danny’s arm gently, ignoring his flinch. “I’ll help you up, c’mon.” He hauled Danny to his feet, leading him to his bed before returning to his own. “So like, you remember what happened, right?” he asked. Danny shrugged.

 

“Bits and pieces. I mostly remember being…hungry. Like everything else was covered in a haze, and the only thing left was my stomach.” He pulled his knees up to his chest again, staring at the bedsheets. “I don’t like it. Whatever it is, it likes to hunt the people around me.” He frowned, biting his lip and burying his face in his knees. “I wanna go home…”

 

\--

 

He was woken once again by a rough hand on his shoulder. His eyes snapped open, flashing green for a split second as panic flooded his veins. “Get up. Meyers is here to see you.” Danny scowled. Of  _ course  _ it was the guy who hated him.

 

“I’d love to, but I’m a bit tied up at the moment,” he snapped, wiggling his fingers. The hand dragged him off of the bed, steadying him before leading him down the hall. The lights were dimmed, casting deep shadows on the plain grey walls.

 

“Now, since I don’t think it got through to you the first time, I’m going to go over the visitation rules again. Do not yell, scream, or threaten. For this visit, you will be cuffed to the chair, since last time you proved you aren’t to be trusted to stay calm. If that light so much as flickers, you will be sedated. Myself and another officer will be right outside the door, and a third will be watching from a separate location. Feel free to disregard any of these rules though, because I’d  _ love  _ to show you the consequences,” he said, sneering down at Danny. Danny glared, but didn’t rise to the bait. His nails were already digging into his palms, trying to keep himself from exploding. “Do you understand?”   
  
Danny nodded, biting his lip as they went back to the hallway he’d visited earlier that day.  _ ‘Just stay calm, Fenton. He just wants to get a rise out of you.’  _ The officer swiped his card, opening the door and pulling Danny inside. Nobody was in the room yet, but Danny was sure that Meyers was somewhere nearby. The officer detached his cuffs from the chain around his waist, gripping his wrist tightly as he pushed him into the metal chair that was bolted to the floor. He attached Danny’s left wrist to the armrest, cinching the cuffs tightly and drawing a wince out of Danny. He smirked, detaching his right hand and pulling out a second pair of handcuffs. He repeated the process with the other hand, making sure the chains were tight. “Comfortable?” he asked, still smirking. Danny growled, eyes glinting behind his curtain of hair. “Sorry, didn’t catch that. Well, whatever. I’ll take that as a yes. You can send him in now.” The last sentence was aimed at the camera in the corner of the room. A red light winked on as the door opened again, this time admitting Meyers and Jackson. The other officer left, chuckling quietly at the glare Jackson sent Danny before the door closed.

 

Meyers sat down in the chair across from Danny, setting down an overstuffed manila folder and sighing heavily. “Your first full day and you’re already in trouble, huh?” he asked. Danny wasn’t sure if it was a rhetorical question or not, and he shrugged slightly, wincing as the cuffs dug into his wrists again. Meyers frowned. “Well, I’m afraid that your day’s about to get worse. Baxter woke up and—”

 

Danny sat up and leaned forward quickly, ignoring the bite of the metal around his wrists. “Dash is awake? Is he okay?!” he asked, eyes frantic and pleading. After the visit with the Baxters earlier, he’d been worried sick. What if Dash really had died?   
  
“Woah kid, calm down! Baxter…well, he’s not  _ fine,  _ but he’s not dead. He was coherent enough this morning to give a statement, which brings me to my next point.” He opened the folder, sifting through papers until he found what he was looking for. “He told us his side of the story, and despite his parents blustering, I can only assume it’s the truth.” He cleared his throat, glancing at the paper. “Basically, he told us nearly the same thing you did, that he hit you first and you hit back. However, he also said that after you broke his ribs, you threatened him and proceeded to break his collarbone after he was already down. Is this true?” he said, pinning Danny with a piercing glare.

 

He squirmed, uncomfortable with the intensity of Meyers’ gaze. Finally, he sighed and looked away. “Y-Yeah, that’s…that’s true…” he said in a near-whisper. He pressed his lips together tightly, frowning. Meyers sighed again, tucking the paper back in the folder.

 

“Then I’m afraid you can’t say this was self-defense. You have a right to legal counsel, do you want me to contact your parents so they can arrange for someone?” he asked. Danny nodded, still staring at the floor. Meyers nodded once, collecting his folder and standing up. As he reached for the door, Danny looked up.

 

“Officer Meyers, wait.” Meyers looked back, raising an eyebrow inquisitively. “Can…Can you tell my parents I’m sorry?” Danny swallowed nervously, biting back tears. “I know they probably hate me, and I’m not asking them to come visit or anything, I just…” He looked down at the table again. “I just want them to know that I’m sorry.” Meyers looked at him, narrowing his eyes. He didn’t see any trace of a lie in Danny’s posture, though honestly he didn’t see much of anything that wasn’t a sad and broken child.

 

“I will. I promise.” He knocked on the door, alerting the officers behind it that he was ready to leave. Danny smiled, wiping his eyes on the shoulder of his shirt.

 

“Thank you…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally we're reaching the climax of this arc. holy hell.


	15. Chapter 15: Juvie Arc

_ ‘There’s something off about that Fenton kid...’  _ Brandon sighed, adjusting his papers before knocking on the door of Fentonworks. It swung open, and at first all he saw was a Day-Glo orange spandex jumpsuit. He looked up, meeting the eyes of probably the largest man he’d ever seen. He swallowed nervously, schooling his features into a forced calm. “Are you Jack Fenton?” he asked. The man nodded, eyeing Brandon suspiciously.

 

“Yes, I am. Who are you?” he asked. His words were obscured slightly by an unfamiliar accent, though Brandon had a feeling it wasn’t anywhere near as thick as it could’ve been.

 

“I’m Officer Brandon Meyers, I’m with the Amity Park Police Department. I’m here about your son, Daniel,” he said. Jack narrowed his eyes at him for a second, before moving aside to let him inside. 

 

“What did Danny do, Agent Meyers? Maddie didn’t tell me, she just said something about a fight,” Jack said, closing the door and plopping down on the couch. Brandon followed, shifting aside some half-finished mess of plastic and metal before sitting in the threadbare armchair across from Jack.

 

“Danny got into a fight at school, that’s true. However, he also threatened another boy and put him in the hospital. Mr. Baxter has only just woken up from surgery this morning, and he won’t be able to continue playing football for the rest of the season. Danny is currently in a juvenile detention center, where he’s awaiting his trial date. I’m here to ask if you and Maddie are willing to provide a lawyer,” Brandon explained, setting his folders down on the coffee table. Jack growled quietly, muttering under his breath in angry Korean. He got up from the couch, running a gloved hand through his hair and making it stick up on end like he’d stuck a fork in an outlet.

 

“You wait here. I’ll go get Maddie,” he said, glancing at Brandon before lumbering off towards the basement. When the door opened, Brandon could faintly make out someone talking as if doing an autopsy and faint, echoey whimpering before it closed again. Once Jack was out of his line of sight, Brandon let out a sigh.

 

_ ‘Forget Danny. There’s something weird about this entire damn family...’ _

 

\--

 

“........appears to be some sort of low-level ghost, with a bestial appearance resembling that of an octopus. However, unlike a normal octopus, the specimen, hereafter referred to as an “Ectopus” for convenience, only has four tentacles, rather than the normal eight. The ectopus also has large, humanoid eyes, with red irises.” Maddie stopped the recording when she heard Jack enter the basement, pressing a button under the edge of the table. Almost immediately, a semi-transparent field of green energy surrounded the autopsy table, trapping the “Ectopus” inside. She removed her goggles from her eyes, pushing them up to rest on top of her head. “Hi, honey! What’s going on?” she asked, wiping her gloves off and discarding the cloth before leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss Jack on the cheek.

 

He gave her a small smile, but the tired, suspicious look in his eyes didn’t go away. “There’s someone upstairs, an Officer Meyers. It’s about Danny, he said,” he explained, raising an eyebrow when Maddie’s face immediately closed off.

 

“Is it? I see.” She smiled faintly at him, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’ll be up in a second, I need to clean up. That damn ghost got ectoplasm all over my suit,” she chuckled, grabbing an old and stained towel from one of the worktables. Jack nodded, turning around and heading back up the stairs.

 

**_‘Why would Danny do something like this...?’_ **

 

\--

 

Rosetta Noel honestly wished she’d gotten into a different line of work. When she was younger, she was fascinated by law, spending hours upon hours watching  _ Judge Judy _ and  _ People’s Court.  _ She wanted to change the world some day, even if it meant a lot of hard work. She had graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in law, minoring in criminal justice. She had even been accepted at a prestigious firm in Amity Park, close to her parents. Life had been good, great even.

 

At least, until she took the Fentons on as clients. They had been sued so many times for child endangerment, unsafe workplace practices, and property damage that she was going prematurely grey from the stress. After almost three months with no word from them, she’d begun to hope that maybe, just maybe, they’d changed their ways and gotten normal, non-deadly jobs.

 

She was wrong. So terribly wrong.

 

At least this time, it wasn't the older Fentons that were in trouble. Their son Danny, barely 14, had just gotten arrested for first degree assault and battery. Apparently, he'd beaten up a quarterback at his school badly enough that he'd gone to the hospital. Danny was currently in a detention center, requesting legal assistance.

 

She groaned, faceplanting onto a stack of paperwork. She closed her eyes, feeling them burning from dryness.

 

_ 'I wish I'd never met those damn Fentons...’ _

 

\--

 

Jason Gale had done many things and met many,  _ many  _ different people in his relatively short life. He'd met a guy who could balance knives on the tip of his nose, a girl who he swore could see the future, and even a kid who managed to rewire a state-of-the-art alarm system in thirty seconds flat. Yeah, he'd met a lot of weird people, but never in his sixteen years of life had he met someone who was as unsettling as Danny Fenton.

 

For one thing, Fenton was  _ tiny.  _ Barely pushing 5’4, yet somehow he managed to not only get on Jackson’s bad side, he also managed to piss off McCarthy. He’d been in here for almost a year now, and even  _ he  _ hadn’t managed to faze McCarthy! In addition, he was constantly restrained, something they did only for the most dangerous kids.

 

Ha, ain’t that something. A dangerous prisoner in D block. So much for “moderate-risk”.

 

Then there was the whole ghost thing to take into account. Somehow, Fenton could make things explode, ice over rooms, and transform into a whole other person. Literally. 

 

Then there were his scars. Scars he’d only seen on pictures of electrocution victims. The kid was covered in them, pale lines covering his arms and curling up over his cheekbone. He wasn’t certain, but he was fairly sure that Fenton hadn’t had quite that many when he’d showed up.

 

Finally, the thing that unnerved Jason the most. He’d always been in touch with his emotions, even if he couldn’t control them. Anger, pain, and sorrow were his constant companions throughout life, but now? Now, he couldn’t even feel them anymore. He felt tired and numb, like nothing mattered anymore. Like something was sucking all the emotion out of him.

  
It hadn’t started until Fenton became his new roommate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was kicking my ass, so instead of a timeskip you get outside views of Danny/the Fenton family. next chapter will probably go back to Danny, not certain yet. kinda winging here. i know the ending, and I know specific things I wanna do, but not how to get there.
> 
> like going on a roadtrip without a map.


	16. Chapter 16: Juvie Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> merry freakin' christmas

“Hey, Danny, wake up.” Danny growled at the annoying voice, squeezing his eyes shut and burrowing into his pillow. Unfortunately, it was useless. He’d slept so much in the last week that his body felt more rested than it had in years, and was now buzzing with energy. He scowled, cracking an eye open.

 

_ "W̛h̶a̧t ̴d̶o ͝y͟ou  _ **_w͡an̸t?"_ ** he growled, baring his teeth. Jason backed up quick, eyes wide in the way they only got when Danny did something weird.

 

“Alright, I’ve heard you do English and some Asian language, but I ain’t never heard anything like that. Quit fuckin’ hissing at me and get up, I wanna introduce you to some people in the cafeteria,” he said, talking fast and glancing at the door.

 

_ "Go̴ a̷w̨ay.  _ I’m not hungry,” Danny grumbled, shoving his head under the pillow.

 

“Nuh-uh. You don’t have to eat, but get up and come with me anyway.” Danny’s scowl deepened, and he sensed that Jason wasn’t going to budge on this. He removed the pillow, sitting up. He winced when he put pressure on his sore wrists, the weird speed-healing not doing anything for the torn muscles below the surface.

 

“Fine, I’m coming.” He yawned, scratching the back of his head and running his hand gently through his hair to try and neaten it a bit.

 

“Now, before McCarthy gets here, I had a question for you.” Danny raised an eyebrow, motioning for him to ask. “You don’t eat.”

 

Danny snorted. “Thought you were gonna ask a question,” he said sarcastically, pulling his feet up onto the bed so he could rest his head on his knees. Jason glared at him, flipping him off quickly.

 

“Shut up.  _ Anyway,  _ that wasn’t the question. The question is how you aren’t starving. Weird dead kid or not, you’re still solid, so you’re at least a little bit alive. And in my experience, people who’re alive need food to survive. So I ask again: how are you not dead?”

 

Danny opened his mouth to respond, but stopped and closed it again, thinking. Finally, he shrugged. “Dunno. I just know that ever since July, I haven’t been hungry every day. Actually, I feel full, like, all the time.” He smiled humorlessly, more pulling his lips back in a mockery of a smile than anything else. “Except sometimes. Sometimes, I get so hungry that I feel like I could devour all the food in the house and  _ still  _ not be full.” He snorted, looking up at Jason through his bangs. “I actually once ate an entire chicken by myself, along with half a pot of potatoes. My parents freaked out, they thought I was possessed.”

 

“So, it’s a ghost thing?” Jason asked, to confirm. Danny nodded.

 

“Suppose so.”

 

\--

 

Danny had never been one for crowds. Sure, he could  _ handle _ crowded spaces, he just didn’t _ like _ to. It made him feel confined, like the walls were closing in on him. He much preferred the vast expanse of space, and how absolutely miniscule looking up at the stars made him feel. Unfortunately, for the foreseeable future, he was stuck in a concrete cube, packed in like a sardine with no way to see the stars, unless he suddenly learned how to control the phasing thing.

 

He trailed after Jason like a baby duck, weaving through the cafeteria and avoiding curious stares and stray legs. Jason sat down at a table with three other people, patting the seat next to him and grinning at Danny. He raised an eyebrow, but sat, looking at the other people around the small table.

 

There was one kid who looked to be around Danny’s age, with tanned skin and sparkling blue eyes. Their hair was blond, looking like gold. Another kid had longish hair, framing her face with soft brown curls. She had a dark skin and brown eyes, her gaze sharpening as she glared at Danny when he met her eyes. Quickly, he looked at the third and last kid, mildly terrified. The last kid looked no older than twelve, with greasy brown hair and an unnerving smile. His pasty skin was splotchy and red in places, covered in scratches and cheap bandaids.

 

“Guys, this is Danny. He’s my new roommate,” Jason said. Danny quickly tuned back into the conversation, feeling like he probably shouldn’t miss their names, even if he never saw these people again.

 

The blond kid grinned, waving energetically. “Hi! I’m Sonny,” they said. Danny blinked, startled.

 

“Wait, did you just say your name is  _ Sunny?”  _ he asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow. They shook their head, laughing at him.

 

“No,  _ Sonny.  _ With an O,” they corrected. Danny shrugged, letting it go and turning to the dark-haired girl.

 

“Name’s Emily,” she said shortly, turning back to her food. Danny swore the temperature in the room dropped about three degrees, this time through no fault of his own. He looked at the last kid, whose grin widened slightly, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

 

“I’m Owen,” he said, seemingly holding back a chuckle. He obviously knew something Danny didn’t, but he didn’t pry.

 

“....Right.” Jason decided to butt in, looking reproachfully at Owen.

 

“Hey, don’t freak him out. It was hard enough to get him to come to the cafeteria in the first place,” he scolded, narrowing his eyes at Owen. He laughed, dark brown eyes twinkling with mirth.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I got it, spoilsport.” He smiled at Danny, though this time it was calmer, shy and apologetic. “Sorry, I do that to all of Jason's new friends. Freaked Sonny out, they wouldn't talk to me for a week. Anyway, it really is nice to meet you.” Danny raised an eyebrow, somehow even more unnerved than before.

 

“......Yeah. Nice to meet you too...” he said cautiously, still not fully convinced of Owen’s innocence. He had to do  _ something  _ to get in here, after all. Jason clapped his hands together suddenly, startling Danny badly enough that his foot slipped through the floor. He scowled, glaring at him.

 

“Sorry Danny. Anyway, now that introductions are done, what now?” Emily rolled her eyes, stabbing her plastic spoon into her potatoes with enough force to punch a hole through the foam tray.

 

“What, you wanna go around the circle and share our favorite colors?” she asked sarcastically, glaring at Jason. Danny got the feeling they'd had this conversation before. Luckily for Emily, the officer identified as McCarthy came up to their table before Jason could respond.

 

“Grey, get up. Your cousin's here to see you.” She stood, pushing away the potatoes.

 

“Thank god, saved by the Val...” she muttered, following McCarthy out of the cafeteria. Sonny sighed, pouting and poking at their salad.

  
“And then there were four...I wonder how long her cousin's gonna keep her this time...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRANSLATION:
> 
> Zalgo text:
> 
> What do you want?
> 
> Go away.


	17. Chapter 17: Juvie Arc

Emily Grey wasn’t a coward. She could face down bullies twice her size with no fear, once fought the family dog for her teddy bear, and scaled a thirty-foot tree to save a cat that had gotten stuck. So, no, Emily was far from a coward. That didn’t mean she wasn’t cautious.

 

That Danny kid set her on edge, in probably the worst possible way. His eyes looked dead, though she could see a spark of cold, calculating anger hidden behind the dullness. His hair seemed to be constantly in motion, though she couldn’t remember the fan in the cafeteria being on. Plus, there were the handcuffs. The sores on his wrists suggested he’d been in them for at least a few days, probably forced to sleep in them too, judging by how raw the wounds were. She wasn’t stupid, she knew they only kept the dangerous people restrained 24/7. Why Sonny, Owen, and Jason couldn’t see it was beyond her, but she’d always suspected she was the smartest out of her friends.

 

Speaking of friends, they’d reached the room. McCarthy sat her down roughly, uncuffing one of her hands and attaching the loose cuff to the arm of the chair. She could tell he wanted to do worse, but since she hadn’t done anything to provoke him, he could only get away with closing the cuff around her wrist just a little too tightly, just enough to be uncomfortable against the bones of her wrist.

 

Not long after he left, the door opened again. Valerie entered, looking better than she’d been the last time she had visited Emily. She smiled, demeanor softening as she locked eyes with her favorite cousin. “Hey Em, how’re you doing?” Valerie asked, sitting down in the chair across the table, the one  _ not  _ bolted to the floor. Emily scoffed, though mirth was still dancing in her eyes.

 

“Oh, you know, it’s like a five-star resort here. Three meals a day, no annoying roommates, and I even get a  _ fancy  _ private room!” she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Valerie giggled, a hand coming up to cover her mouth almost......daintily. Emily smiled at her, relaxing as much as she could in her chair. “So, how’re things with  _ you?  _ Did you finally get in with those A-list bastards?” she asked, smirking when Valerie blushed and stammered. “Hey, relax! I just noticed that your scarf was new, and that you’re wearing a different color polish. Went on a mall trip recently, right?” Valerie nodded, astonishment crossing her face for a brief second before she schooled her expression again.

 

“Yeah, I did. I made friends with this girl, Paulina Diaz, and she took me shopping. Honestly, I just think she likes having someone to talk to that isn’t Star. Not that Star isn’t nice or anything, but....she doesn’t quite get why a walk-in at any ol’ salon just isn’t feasible for everybody,” Valerie said, smiling softly.

 

“And what about that Weston kid? You still friends with him?” Emily asked, feeling a bit like she was giving her cousin the third degree. It’s not that she had anything against Wes, she just thought his obsessive interest in cryptids and conspiracies was just that: obsessive. Honestly, it was bordering on hysteria, if he’d continued on down the same track he’d been on when they all went to Elmerton.

 

Valerie shrugged, toying with one of the tassels on the end of her cream-colored scarf. “I mean, kind of? He’s moved on from Mothman to this kid named Danny Fenton. He seems convinced that Danny isn’t...... _ human,  _ you know? But when I asked him what he meant, he only said that he could see Danny’s ghost beneath his skin, trying to get out.” Valerie shook her head, sighing. “I don’t know what to do about him anymore, Em.”

 

Emily attempted a sympathetic smile, reaching across the table with her free hand to hold Valerie’s. Valerie took it, the callouses on her fingers softer than Emily remembered. “I’m sure he’s fine. I mean, it’s not like he’s telling anyone else, right?” Valerie looked away, biting her lip. Emily narrowed her eyes. “Val? Oh my god he didn’t. He’s not putting up posters again, is he?” she sighed, dropping her head with a low, solid  _ thunk  _ onto the table. Valerie giggled, but it was weak, strained.

 

“No, no posters. He said that the....um....the ‘close-minded sheeple’ wouldn’t see what he saw, so it was pointless. Instead, he tried to convince at least me and the entire freshman basketball team to carry a little baggie of salt everywhere. Protection, he called it.” Emily frowned, a stray thought scratching at the back of her brain. “It was a moot point anyway, two weeks into the school year, and Danny got arrested.”

 

“Hey, what’s this Danny kid look like, anyway? Because there’s someone weird here, and I think it may be who you’re talking about.” Valerie looked at her strangely, but shrugged nonetheless.

 

“About 5’4, light brown skin, blue eyes, black hair. Looks Asian, though I couldn’t tell you for the life of me which country. Probably has scars somewhere on his body? Wes wasn’t very clear, and he’s kind of easy to miss. It’s not like we have any classes together,” she said, brow furrowed as she tried to remember. Emily resisted the urge to hit her head on the table again.

 

“Yep, same guy. He exploded a light strip in Visiting Room A, scared the Baxters half to death, and also probably froze over his room? And he scares the living daylights out of Jason, so that’s a plus.” She allowed herself a small smile when remembering the careful way Jason had avoided startling or enraging Danny during lunch that day. “Either way, this kid is Bad News, with a capital B. Word on the grapevine is that he hasn’t even gotten a trial yet because whoever was a victim to whatever he did to get in here in the first place hadn’t woken up yet. Honestly, I’ve only seen him once, today at lunch. I probably won’t see him again for a while, honestly. They’ll probably transfer him to F soon, if he doesn’t manage to get the cuffs off before a week’s up.” Valerie’s eyes widened, jaw dropping further with every sentence Emily spoke.

 

_ “F?!  _ Didn’t you tell me that was only for the unstable ones?!” she demanded in a low whisper. Emily shrugged helplessly.

 

“Hey, as far as I know he hasn’t even gotten a trial yet. Jason didn’t say much of why though, but I’ll keep looking into it, because now  _ I’m  _ curious.” She sighed, twitching slightly and tightening her grip on Valerie’s hand when the door opened.

 

“Time’s up, Miss Grey. If you’ll follow me, I’ll escort you to the door.” A spark in Valerie’s eyes lit up, and she smiled slightly before giving Emily’s hand a squeeze and standing up.

 

“I’ll see you again as soon as I can, Em. Remember, only two months left!” she said cheerfully, waving before following the redheaded Officer McClain outside. Emily sighed, slumping in her chair.

 

“Yeah.........just two months left....”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow that last line sounds ominous huh? :^)
> 
> also yaaaaaaay we get to see val now!!!


	18. Chapter 18: Juvie Arc

When Emily left, an awkward silence descended over the table. Danny could tell it was probably his fault, as they seemed like good friends otherwise. He rolled his eyes, wishing desperately that he could cross his arms. “Alright look, this is getting old.” Jason blinked, looking over at him.

 

“W-What’s getting old?” he asked, leg starting to bounce quickly. Danny scowled, lifting his hands as far as the chain would allow and gesturing irritably at the table.

 

“This! The.....The awkward silences and avoiding eye contact and shit!” He huffed, turning to Jason. “I can tell that you guys were better friends before I showed up, so I’m gonna go. I appreciate the thought, but I’m out. Later, Jason.” He stood up, making his way over to Jackson, who was standing next to one of the exits. Jason watched as he said something to her, before she led him out of the cafeteria. He sighed, poking at his potatoes, suddenly not hungry.

 

“Jason? Are you okay?” Sonny asked, tilting their head. Jason shrugged, looking up at his friends.

 

“I’ll be fine. Sorry about that, guys....I know how much you wanted to meet him, Sonny,” he said softly. Sonny shrugged, smiling uneasily.

 

“Well.......can I be honest here?” they asked. Jason nodded, tilting his head curiously. They looked away, rubbing their arms gently. “He made me feel......cold. All tired and stuff.....” Owen nodded in agreement, his usual smile dropping into a serious expression.

 

“He felt like depression, if depression was a person.” Jason paled slightly, eyes widening.

 

“W-Wait, you guys feel it too? It’s not just me?” he asked disbelievingly. At the confused looks he received, he elaborated. “The numbness, the irritation, all that! I thought I was imagining it!” Owen blinked, putting his spork down.

 

“You think that it’s  _ Danny’s  _ fault?” he asked incredulously. Jason nodded firmly.

 

“In fact, I’m  _ certain  _ it’s Danny’s fault.”

 

\--

 

Emily came back subdued, her eyes distant. Sonny looked at her and frowned, tilting their head. “What happened?” they asked. She shook her head, instead looking around the table.

 

“Where’s Danny?” Everyone looked away, refusing to meet her eyes. “What, he didn’t just go  _ invisible,” _ she scoffed. Jason made a choked noise that was half-laugh, half-snort, blushing slightly under her glare. “Something funny, Gale?” He shook his head quickly, still smiling a bit.

 

“No, sorry. Anyway, Danny left. I don’t know where he went, but he said something to Jackson and she took him out of the cafeteria. He might be back in our cell, at this point.” Emily nodded, frowning at the table.

 

“Em, is everything ok? You’re not usually this quiet, not after Valerie comes,” Owen said, propping his head up with one hand. Emily winced when she caught sight of the thick scars around his wrist, her stomach turning uncomfortably as she remembered the similar sores and scarring around  _ Danny’s  _ wrists. She shrugged, crossing her arms on the table.

 

“Yeah, well......I dunno. She’s grown up a lot, and....I missed it. She started highschool this year, and I’m still stuck here instead of like, I dunno, helping her with homework or something.” She scowled, forcing back tears. “I’m s’pposed to be a mentor, or a role model or whatever, and instead I’m stuck here because I was fucking  _ stupid.  _ And now she’s all happy and bouncy and excited I’m getting out soon and I don’t know how to tell her that I’m  _ not!”  _ she exploded, the dam bursting. She scowled, scrubbing furiously at her eyes with her arm, wiping away the tears before any of her friends could see them.

 

Sonny’s eyes welled up with tears too, and they patted her on the shoulder consolingly. “It’s okay, Em. It’s just an extra week, you know?” They smiled shakily, eyes crinkling shut. “At least you only have two months and a bit, that’s less than the rest of us.”

  
Owen nodded, straightening up. “Yeah! You get to get out sooner than the rest of us, so I want letters, y’hear?” he said, eyes sparkling with determination. Emily laughed, though it was weak and watery.

 

“Thanks guys....I’ll be sure to write you. But don't get too excited! I still gotta get there first!”

 

\--

 

Contrary to Jason’s belief, Danny wasn’t, in fact, in his cell. Instead, he was back in Visiting Room C, both hands chained to the chair and the chain around his waist attached to a bar at the back. They really weren’t taking any chances this time, as everything that _ could _ be connected to the chair  _ was. _

 

Honestly, when Jackson told him he had a visitor, he was expecting Meyers, or maybe the Baxters again. Instead, he was eyeing a vaguely familiar woman who’d introduced herself as Rosetta. She eyed him right back, as if expecting him to bite. Finally, he got tired of the silence.

 

“Are we just gonna sit here all afternoon, or are you gonna tell me why you’re here?” he said finally, breaking the silence. Rosetta jumped, blushing slightly and clearing her throat.

 

“A-Ah, yes, sorry!” She opened her folder, pulling out a sheaf of paper. “Now, since you requested legal assistance, the date of the trial was pushed back a bit so we could prepare.” Danny nodded, not meeting her eyes.

 

“I’m not expecting to get off, or whatever. I know what I did was wrong. I know I have no chance of getting out of here for the near future. So what exactly are we preparing  _ for?”  _ Danny asked, trying very hard not to move, so that the cuffs didn’t dig into his wounds any more than they already had. Rosetta blinked, pausing in her paper shuffling.

 

“W-Well...Mostly I’m there to make sure that you won’t be taken advantage of by the prosecution. From what I know of the Baxters, they’ll do everything in their power to make you get the worst possible sentence, that’s just plain facts.” She set the papers down, folding her hands on top of them. “I’m here to make sure you don’t get screwed over.”

 

Danny nodded, ashen-faced. “G-Got it....Then, how can you help me?” She smirked, an expression eerily reminiscent of ~~_himself_~~ his ghost, that day he died.

 

“Just leave it to me. All you need to do is stay quiet and calm at the trial.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it was my birthday yesterday so give me reviews as a late present maybe? :3c


	19. Chapter 19: Juvie Arc

The day of the hearing came all too quickly, in Danny’s opinion. It was like he blinked, and woke up in a courtroom. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but he’d been in enough civil courtrooms to have a vague idea of what was what.

 

He was sorely tempted to look around, but having Jackson on his right dissuaded that notion. Instead, he kept his eyes on the floor, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. The numb haze was oppressive, creating a fog in his brain that dulled everything, from the sickening lurch of dread in his stomach to the sharp, aching pain of the sores on his wrists, hidden though they were by pristine white gauze.

 

He sat obediently when Jackson nudged him towards a chair, looking up through his bangs at the judge’s stand. The judge was an older man, grey peppering his dark brown hair. Thin, wire-framed glasses sat atop a large nose, and his thin lips were pressed in a tight line. Danny tore his eyes away from the judge when people started filing in the door next to him, instead watching the door curiously.

 

First came Rosetta, who sat next to him at the table he was sat at. Behind her came Jazz, who gave him a sad look, followed by his parents, who were both very pointedly  _ not _ looking at him. To his surprise, they were both dressed normally, unlike the last time he could remember them being in a courtroom, where they’d insisted on wearing their jumpsuits. He bit his lip and shook his head, looking away from them when they sat down behind him. The ball of dread and anger in his stomach was growing, tempered only by the numbness. He could smell wet stone and sour lemons, the tastes mingling oddly on his tongue.

 

After his parents came a wiry redhead with thick, square glasses and a pen tucked behind his ear. Privately, Danny thought he looked a bit like Nathan Lester, if Nathan was three years older and had less hair. The redhead sat down and pulled a bunch of papers out of his bag, setting them in front of him and pulling his pen out from behind his ear, poised to take notes. Behind  _ him  _ came Mr. Lancer, as well as Officer Meyers.

 

Guilt burned through the haze, making his breath catch in his throat. He looked away quickly, swallowing the lump in his throat. Nobody else walked in after Meyers, and the door closed with a soft thud. Danny’s hands trembled where he held them in his lap, the chains clinking softly and rubbing against his wounds slightly. Panic tried to bubble up in his stomach, and he felt trapped, like everyone in the room was about to attack him and if he wasn’t on his guard then something absolutely terrible would happen.

 

He tried to ignore it, focusing on the table and the silence of the courtroom. Gradually, his heart calmed, though unease still roiled uncomfortably in his gut. Finally, the judge spoke.   
  
“Welcome. We are gathered here today to discuss the sentencing of Daniel Jae Fenton, who has been charged with assault and battery in the second degree. Ms. Noel is representing Mr. Fenton.” Rosetta nodded her head in acknowledgement, bringing her manila folder out of her bag. “Does Mr. Fenton wish to make a plea at this time?” he asked. Rosetta glanced at Danny, who continued to stare at the table, silent.

 

She cleared her throat, looking back at the judge. “Yes, Your Honor. My client would like to plead guilty to the charges.” The judge’s bushy eyebrows rose in surprise, but he nodded sharply.

 

“Thank you, Ms. Noel.” He cleared his throat, now addressing the whole room. “Since Mr. Fenton has pleaded guilty to all charges, we will have a twenty minute recess, where Officer Meyers, Ms. Noel, and myself will go over Mr. Fenton’s social investigation report.” Everyone nodded, filing out when he dismissed them. Jackson led Danny to a bench just outside the door by the elbow, watching with disinterest as he dazedly sat on the cushioned bench.

 

The unease in his stomach tapered off, replaced by a distant anger, disconnected enough that it didn’t truly feel like his own. Just as he thought that, something hissed at him, low, echoey, and insidious.

 

_ “̨͢͜A̕͜r̛e͠͏ ̵yo̧͡u  _ **_͏s͡u͘͝r̶͘e͢_ ** _ ̧͝i̛t ̨i̡͢s̴͜n’̢t͡ ̵͏y̨̡o̵͞u͞͏rs?͞ ̷ _ **_Y̵̢ou̴’͠r̕e͞͝_ ** _ ̴̨̢f͟e̵҉e̷͘l̡͟i͜͞҉ng ͜i̷t͞,̨̢ ͡s̛o̵͞͡ u̡͠n͏͏le̵͠s̢͝ş̢̛ ̸̡i̢͘t͝͡’̵̛s͢ ̷s̴̨̛o͢͞m̢ę̷ǫ̶ne̷̡ ̶͏e̡l̛se͏͢’s̵͢.̶̡.̧.̸̷.̴͠” _

 

Danny stiffened, shoulders tensing as he glanced around, trying to locate where the voice came from. Jackson looked down at him, raising one eyebrow.

 

_ “̸S̢͠h͝h̴h̷̴,̷͟ ̡b̛͏e͝t͢t̵eŗ c̡̕a̧҉̶lm d̷̛o͝҉wn͝,̨ ͡͡m͜y͘ ̛O̷͡t͘͠͡h͠͡er.̡͢ ̸͜Sh̴̸e͠’͜͡s̛̕ ge̶͡t͠t̵̢i͡n̸g̴ s̡҉u҉sp̡̧͝i̴̕c̵͟io͏̛u͜s̡҉~̶̡̧”̷ _

 

Danny scowled, straightening up. Jackson crossed her arms, lips pressed in a thin line as her eyes narrowed, pinning him with a fierce stare.  _ “Wh̡o͝ ҉a̴re̵ yo͟u̵?͜”  _ he growled, glaring around the room. A shadow in the corner shifted, like it was waving at him, before falling still again. His eyes widened, staring at the houseplant in the corner.

 

_ “T͘͠o҉͏u͠c̷h̢y̧̕,̡̡ ͝͞to͜͝u̡c͢h҉̢y̷̧~͢҉! ̧̛Y̷͢͝ou͝ c͟ą͢n̨̕ ̵ca̧͞ll̢̛͟ ̵m͘ę ̸̢͠P̴͜h͜a̴nt͠͏̕ǫ̕m̨͘,͏̨ ̛m̨y ̷O͠t͟her̕.̸͡ ͟No͏̨w҉̴͝ ̕y̴o̸̢u҉ b̡e͝t͠t͜e̶r̕͘ ҉͢ç͘al͜m̢̛͜ d̢̛o̶͏͝wn͝,̷̡ ͠ų̨͞n͝l҉̢͞e͏s̨s̶ ̶y͘o̡͝u̶͟ ͝͞f̴͡e͘e̷̵l̨͢ ̷̡̕l̵͘i̧ke҉̢ ̷̧c̨̡͘l҉̡͝e͜ani͘n͡ģ̷͞ ̸u̵p̴͜ ͢g̡l̷a͞ss̶̸̛.̵̨..̢̡̡.̢.̷͏.”̶̧ _

 

The whispering faded away, and Danny shot out of his seat to try and follow it. The lights flickered dangerously, and the bench opposite Danny creaked ominously. A tapestry on the wall fluttered in a sudden breeze, tassels floating gently. Jackson’s eyes widened before she glared at Danny and pushed him back down onto the bench forcefully. Her fingers dug into his shoulder, keeping him pinned to the chair.

 

“Let me remind you, Fenton, that this behavior will not be tolerated. I’d recommend you sit down and  _ calm down,  _ before I’m forced to sedate you.” Danny gritted his teeth, but nodded. Slowly, the room returned to normal, but Danny remained trembling violently on the bench, tenser than before.

 

“M’sorry, Offic’r,” he muttered, not opening his mouth much in fear that he’d scream at her. Jackson gave him another long look, her scrutiny causing Danny to tense further, before she nodded and relaxed her grip. The tension left his shoulders, though his eyes remained fixed on the corner with the houseplant until they were called back inside.

 

\--

 

“Upon review of Mr. Fenton’s social investigation report, as well as a report on his behavior this past week at the Amity Youth Detention Center, the three of us have come to a verdict.” Danny’s fists tightened, his tendons rubbing harshly against the metal of the cuffs and causing his wounds to start bleeding sluggishly. “We have decided that he will spend a year at AYDC, along with mandatory, bi-weekly visits to a court-ordered child psychiatrist, Dr. Penelope Spectra. Do you have any objections, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton?” Danny watched as his parents shook their heads, a spike of betrayal shooting through him and joining the slowly returning anger and despair. The judge nodded again, folding his hands over a stack of papers resting on the table in front of him. “Then it’s settled. Officer Jackson, if you would?”

 

Jackson nodded, pulling Danny up and leading him out of the courtroom. She brought him back to the van, getting him settled in the back before locking the door and getting in the driver’s seat. Danny stared at the dusty floor of the van, hunched over with his head in his hands.

 

_ ‘They didn’t even argue....’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy shit guys we found it it's the elusive Plot Strand that i lost halfway through the fic!!!!
> 
> i promise, the jail arc is gonna be over soon. after the next chapter, there's gonna be several timeskips, mostly to spectra's sections, as well as closing the emily plotline, for now. FINALLY, we're getting to the good parts! :D


	20. Chapter 20: Juvie Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hihi guess who's posting early :3c

When they got back, they almost immediately stuck Danny back in his cell. He didn’t care, or rather was  _ trying  _ not to care. Seeing his parents again had hurt, especially their cool dismissal of him. He knew that they didn’t pay much attention to him in the first place, in fact nearly forcing Jazz to raise him by herself, but even through the years of obvious neglect he still knew they loved him. He knew, despite their work taking nearly all their attention,  _ they still loved him. _

 

But now? Now, he wasn't sure. Before, when he was younger, he used to get in trouble to get their attention. Nothing big, just reading in class or skipping gym, just enough to get him in trouble, but not  _ too _ much trouble. Sure, they looked disappointed in him, but at least they were  _ looking  _ at him!

 

However, at his trial, they wouldn’t even do that. They didn’t meet his eyes, didn’t glance in his direction, not even a glare leveled on the back of his head. It was like.......like they were strangers, trying to cut all ties with him. And it  _ hurt,  _ it hurt so bad that not even the numbness could swallow all the pain. In fact, it seemed to recede the more he grasped for it, forcing him to deal with his emotions all at once.

 

He hated it. He hated it so much that it clawed and burned and  _ screamed,  _ a painful, stinging ache just behind his ribcage. He curled up in a tiny ball on his bed, clutching his hair with his hands and welcoming the pain in his wrists because at least they distracted him from the pain in his heart, at least the blood blossoming on the bandages distracted him from the anger curling in his stomach. Tears came hot and fast, though he didn’t wail like he wanted to. He let the tears flow, let them carve trails down his face and trace his scars.

 

He didn’t look up for a long time, not even when Jason came back, not even when he tried to prod Danny into talking, not even when the asshole officer came back and dragged him out of the cell by his elbow, not even when the same officer took him out of D block and into a new wing, this one full of screaming inmates and sobbing children. He was taken to a cell in the very back, where he was pushed inside and left alone when the door slammed, this new wing apparently not allowing roommates.

 

It was only when he was alone again did he raise his head from the floor, dull green eyes sweeping over the tiny room he was given with an impassive gaze. He turned and sat on the bed, considering the shackles around his wrists. It was insulting, how these humans thought that a few pieces of metal and a couple weak threats would be enough to keep him docile. He frowned when a memory made itself known, niggling at the back of his mind.

 

_ [“I-I promise, I won’t bust out. Here, jail, juvie, whatever. I know I deserve this, after what happened…”] _

 

He scowled, shaking his head. The green faded from his eyes, leaving only tired blue in its place. “Get over yourself, Fenton,” he whispered harshly, hanging his head and staring at the concrete floor. Something within him growled angrily, but he ignored it. He had enough problems to deal with right now, instead of worrying about feelings inside of him he felt disconnected from.

 

\--

 

Danny quickly learned that his actual  _ sentence _ at AYDC would be far different than what he was used to. Before, he’d been classed as a moderate-risk inmate, and thus was living in D block with a roommate and various privileges. Now, on the other hand, he was in F block, a portion of the detention center that’d honestly be more suited to a horror movie about a mental asylum than an actual, moderately humane juvenile detention center. Everyone here was wearing restraints, even within their cells, their wrists all bearing the same wounds Danny’s did. The stench of blood permeated the air in the hallway, somehow complementing the taste of absolute misery that accompanied it.

 

In addition, he no longer had the option of skipping meals. He tried it once, but the resulting forceful tug out of his cell that sent him stumbling into the wall quickly dissuaded him of that notion. The F block inmates had a separate cafeteria from the rest of the complex, a small, dingy concrete room that just amplified the feeling of depression he got from the entire wing.

 

Once, someone tried to run away. It was a kid, a little girl, no older than Owen. She broke free from the officers holding her, elbowing one in the gut and making a break for it. Someone called out to her— _ ”Megan, no!” _ —but it was just a bit too late. One of the guards—for that’s what they were, here in F block—grabbed her elbow, yanking her to a stop roughly. Megan’s eyes overflowed with tears, her mouth twisted in a pained grimace.

 

“Please, I just want to see my brother again! Let me see my brother!” she sobbed, struggling against their hold as she was dragged away by the elbows. Near the door, she went limp, her feet dragging on the concrete and leaving faint bloody trails as her shoulders shook with sobs. The people next to Danny resolutely looked at their trays, one glancing at Danny with thinly veiled concern as he stared at the space Megan had been, horrified.

 

_ “̴͜Y̵o̷͘u̸͢ ̵͜ş͟͢hǫ̕̕u͟l̴͝d ̧k̕e͘e̶҉͠p̵̡ ̧͘yơ͠ur̷͢͞ ͡h͟͟͡ęad̵ ̵͘͞d̷̵̨o͡w̕n͘..̕͞.͏..͏.͠..͏̸̸I̷’҉d̢̡͏ ̢h̶a͝te̷͘ ͞͡f͢҉or̵͜ y͝ơu͟ ̕to ̴̨w̛h͞i͢͜n̛e̕҉ ͠a͏̴b̵o̡u̶͟t̢ ͘͠m͏ȩ̴ tr̸y͞i̢n̢g ͜t͞o̸ h̶͢͝e̷͟l̵͝p̶ ͢y̷͡͠o̵̸u̷̢͟..̕͡.̵͝.̨͘” _

 

Danny shook his head roughly, turning back to his food. Suddenly, he wasn’t hungry anymore. His stomach still growled angrily, but even the thought of putting anything in his mouth made him queasy. Sour grapefruit and the wet stone from before mingled with the heavy taste of cotton, just making his stomach turn even more. He pushed away his tray, hugging his stomach and frowning.

 

One thing was for certain: life in F block wasn't going to be easy.


	21. Chapter 21: Juvie Arc

It’s been almost two months since Jason had seen Danny, and honestly, he was getting concerned. Logically, he knew Danny was probably fine, though that didn’t stop him from worrying. Sure, Danny was creepy as hell and scared the everloving shit out of him, but he wasn’t a bad kid. He was certainly better than some of the people in here, that was for sure.

 

A shiver ran down his spine as his mind, unbidden, thought of the disproportionately secretive F block. The people in charge here just  _ loved  _ telling them exactly what went on in other blocks, to reduce the risk of them trying to find out for themselves. But, they never said  _ anything  _ about F block, negative or otherwise. All Jason knew of it was what Owen had told him, and even that was barely enough.

 

He sighed, turning to lie on his back and stare at the ceiling. Well, wherever Danny was, it didn’t matter. He’d be fine.

 

Probably.

 

\--

 

Danny was most definitely  _ not  _ fine. He still had ten months left, and while he was  _ trying  _ to behave, Phantom made it extremely difficult. He’d gotten extra sessions with Dr. Spectra more times than he could count, all because someone found them arguing one day.

 

Speaking of Dr. Spectra, there was something  _ weird  _ about her. Sometimes, her movements were jerky and stiff, like she wasn’t used to her body. Other times, he swore he could see a strange light in her eyes, but that was usually hidden by her sunglasses. (And really, sunglasses inside?) She made Phantom uneasy, and her voice was unusually breathy, like she was just a step away from hissing like a leaky gas pipe.

 

“Fenton, get up. Time to go see Dr. Spectra.” Danny scowled, startling slightly when he was pulled out of thought by Officer Harrison. He pushed himself up off the bed, shivering slightly when the blankets fell off of him. He followed Harrison out through the hallway, tensing when his elbow was grabbed tightly. He tensed further when a finger absently traced the scars on his elbow, the ticklish motion sending unpleasant shivers down his spine. He gritted his teeth, glaring ahead of him as Phantom demanded to be let loose. He forcefully shoved the cold back, nearly tearing himself away when they reached Dr. Spectra’s office.

 

_ “̷Don’t̵ to̵uch ̧me͠,̡”̸  _ he hissed at Officer Harrison, eyes flashing in warning as he bared his teeth. Harrison took a step back, eyes wide. He was reaching for the radio on his belt right as the door opened, making both of them jump. Danny blinked, shooting one last poisonous glare at Harrison before going inside.

 

The door closed behind him, trapping him in the overly-cheerful room with the equally as cheerful Dr. Spectra. “Hiya, Danny! Are you ready to have another  _ super duper  _ day?” she chirped, smiling so wide Danny swore he could see her molars. He scowled, plopping down in the chair across from her desk and balling his fists in his lap. Her grin sharpened as she folded her arms primly on top of her desk, leaning forward a bit. He tensed as the scent of sour lemons and blood thickened, churning his stomach.

 

“No day with you is  _ ‘super duper’,”  _ he growled, fixing his glare on her hands. She frowned, tucking a loose piece of hair behind her ear and peering at him over the rims of her glasses.

 

“Danny, you don’t need to be so hostile!” She sighed, sitting back in her chair and adjusting some papers on her desk. “You may not like me, I know. But the thing is, until your sentence is up, we’ll have to see each other twice a week. You can choose not to talk, and that’s fine! But, Danny.....can’t we at least  _ try  _ and get along?” she asked, tilting her head and looking at him imploringly. Danny stiffened when he saw that her head  _ glitched,  _ like her.....soul, or  _ something  _ moved half a second slower than the rest of her body.

 

Something in his chest  _ twisted _ at the sight, a primal  _ fear  _ gripping him like a hand of ice. “No promises,” he bit out, teeth clenched tightly together so he wouldn’t end up baring them at her. She sighed again, before shrugging loosely in what seemed like defeat.   
  


“Good enough, I suppose....”

 

\--

 

When Emily stepped out the front doors of AYDC and took her first breath of free air, she swore it smelled sweeter than the air in the yard. Valerie chuckled, nudging her with her shoulder. “Having fun?” she asked, smiling teasingly. Emily couldn’t even muster up the cynicism necessary for a sarcastic response. Instead, she just smiled, soft and genuine.

 

“Yeah.......I am.” Valerie smiled back, grasping Emily’s hand in her own.

 

“I’m glad, cuz. I can’t wait ‘til you’re back at school, I want you to meet all my friends! There’s Star, and Paulina, and Megan, and Wes, but you already know Wes. And then there’s this one  _ really  _ cute boy on the football team, he’s got the  _ sweetest  _ eyes...” As Valerie rambled on, Emily let her voice wash over her, basking in the warmth of her presence. She smiled wider, squeezing Valerie’s hand. Valerie looked over at her, questioningly. “Something wrong?”

 

Emily shook her head. “Mm-mm. Just like hearing you talk.” Valerie blushed, scoffed, and looked away, but smiled anyway.

 

“Come on, nerd. Dad’s waiting in the car,” she said instead, leaning her head on Emily’s shoulder. Emily chuckled, nudging her gently.

 

“Hey, I still gotta walk, you know.” Valerie shook her head.

 

“Nuh-uh. You can walk and be a headrest at the same time.” Emily rolled her eyes.

 

“Alright, alright, fine. Don’t blame me if you fall though.” Valerie smirked, snuggling further onto Emily’s shoulder.

 

“I’m totally gonna blame you if I fall.”

 

\--

 

Owen missed his sister. He couldn’t remember what happened to separate them, but he’d been shunted off to D block about a month into their sentence, while she had to stay behind in F. Not a day went by where he wished he could see her, but even still, he was too afraid to get sent back there. Not when there was a chance they’d still be separated. Not with the way the guards were there. Something inside of him balked at the very thought.

 

And yet, he still couldn’t help but feel like he was being selfish. He’d promised he would always be there for her, and what did he do instead? Whine about not being able to see her, instead of  _ doing  _ something about it.

 

Logically, he knew he should wait for her to come to him. But, at the same time, he knew his sister. He knew how she was, how she acted when they were apart. She was a mess.

 

Scared of everyone, hysterical and hostile when she wasn’t allowed to see him....to be fair, he was pretty much the same way. He was just better at hiding it.

 

So good at hiding it, that they didn’t see the break-in coming until he was already halfway down the hall, an officer on the floor behind him with a plastic spork shoved an inch deep in his neck.

 

Owen made it almost to the doorway of E block before they caught him, wrestling his hands behind his back and cuffing them together. He screamed and thrashed, yelling about how he wanted to see his sister.

 

“Oh, you’re one of them Coulter kids, ain’tchya? Well, don’t worry. Where you’re going, you’re  _ sure  _ to see your sister again.......once you both earn cafeteria privileges back, that is.”

 

\--

 

Sonny felt abandoned. They knew they should feel happy Emily got out, and they knew that Jason and Owen were still here, but they still couldn’t help it. They couldn’t help it when their family hadn’t bothered to even give them a fucking  _ phone call,  _ not once in the entire six months they’d been here.

 

Sure, maybe it was understandable.  _ Maybe  _ their parents were still upset they burned down that asshole’s shed. But honestly, he’d had it coming. What with the party, the drugs, the......

 

The point is, they just wanted a hug.

 

Unfortunately, it seemed that the world would rather just kick them in the crotch instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also known as the "what the fuck is everyone up to" chapter. i'm thinking maybe two more after this one, then the juvie arc is done.
> 
> get hype.


	22. Chapter 22: Juvie Arc (END)

_ 10 months left.... _

 

“So Danny, would you like to tell me why you decided to hit Dash?”   
  
“Go die in a hole.”   
  


\--

 

_ 9 months, 3 weeks left.... _

 

“Feel like talking today, Danny?”

  
“You know, why don’t we talk about  _ your  _ problems for once?”

  
“There’s no need to be so hostile, Danny. I’m just trying to help you.”

  
_ “Help  _ me? Ha! I’m calling bullshit.”

 

\--

 

_ 8 months, 1 week left.... _

 

“Do you think that maybe your violent thoughts come from a sense of abandonment or neglect in early childhood?”

  
“Hey, what the hell are you trying to say?!”

 

“I’m just wondering if you’re acting out in order to get attention from your parents. After all, several case studies have showed that teenagers tend to turn towards delinquency when they feel they aren’t getting enough attention at home, because they feel even negative attention is good. Is this how you feel, Danny?”

 

_ “PISS OFF!” _

 

\--

 

_ 8 months left...... _

 

“I feel we really made a breakthrough in our last session, Danny!”

 

“You accused my parents of neglecting me and I tried to punch you.”

 

“Yes, but you see, anger is a natural part of the therapy process!”

 

“..........aren’t you supposed to tell me anger and violence are ‘bad for me’ and are ‘contributing to my downward spiral’ or something? You seem......awfully accepting for a therapist.”

 

“Oh Danny, I don’t think that at all! Anger is a natural human reaction, and violence is a way people express that emotion! In fact, I’m not even going to tell you that you need to stop reacting violently when things make you angry. I will, however,  _ suggest  _ that you turn that violence onto an inanimate object, rather than other people.”

 

“.......”

 

\--

 

_ 7 months left..... _

 

“Are you feeling any better today, Danny?”

  
“........not really, honestly.”

 

“Would you like to talk about it?”

 

“.....I mean, kinda? I just......I know they record these sessions, and.....I dunno.”

 

“That’s alright, Danny. I can ask them to turn off the audio, if you want? They’ll need to keep the video on, for security reasons, but I don’t see any reason why we can’t have the audio off and your back to the camera! Would that make you feel safer in talking to me?”

 

“.......yeah.”

 

“Excuse me, Officer Jackson? Would you be a dear and turn the audio recording off? Thank you!”

 

**[AUDIO DATA UNAVAILABLE]**

 

\--

 

_ 6 months, 2 weeks left.... _

 

“I heard they decided to move you back to D block, Danny! That’s great news!”

 

“Yeah, I guess....”

 

“Aren’t you excited? You seem.....upset.”

 

“It’s just...The last time I was there, my old cellmate, Jason? He introduced me to his friends, but.......I don’t think they liked me much.”

 

“Mm, I see...And you’re afraid that if you go back, they’ll see you again, and it’ll be awkward?”

 

“Yeah, but........yeah. I guess. I’m just.........”

 

“Just?”

 

“I think they’re scared of me, Dr. Spectra.....”

 

\--

 

_ 6 months left..... _

 

“So? How was the move?”

 

“Actually.....not as bad as I was expecting. They didn’t give me a cellie, and I have to keep the cuffs on still, but at least I can go to the yard whenever I want now!”

 

“That’s good! I bet the sunlight feels  _ great  _ after so long cooped up inside!”

 

“Yeah, it does. How’d....How’d you know?”

 

“Haha, well, believe it or not, I practically live in this office! So, whenever I go outside after a long week, I like to pretend I’m on a vacation, and just soak up the sun in my backyard!”

 

“Wow.....that sounds like a really fun idea, actually. Maybe when I get to go home, I’ll do that. It’ll be summer, you know?”

 

“Oh, that’s right! Are they giving you classes here?”

 

“Yeah. They stopped for a while when I first got moved to F, but they started again just recently. Said they wanted to get me caught up, so I don’t have to retake freshman year. Avoid questions, you know?”

 

“Ah, yeah, I can understand that. Kids are  _ mean,  _ so I think that’s a great idea!”

 

\--

 

_ 5 months, 2 weeks left.... _

 

“That  _ BASTARD!” _

 

“Woah, Danny, calm down! What’s got you so fired up today?”

 

“That little  _ shit,  _ Wes Weston!”

 

“Is he one of your classmates? What happened?”

 

“Just.....give me a second. I need a second so I don’t explode a  _ g̴O̶͢͝D̶̷D͞Ą͏M͠N҉̶ ͏͏L͏I͏͡҉GH̡̡͠T҉͢!͡͞"̴ _

 

“Take as long as you need, Danny.”

 

“.........”

 

**[Silence for around five minutes. Dr. Spectra busies herself with paperwork as #808792 (Fenton) sits on the couch with his head between his knees.]**

 

“He said I was a monster.....”

 

“A monster?! That seems a little harsh! Did he tell you why?”

 

“.........yeah, but it didn’t make any sense. He said he could....see another me? One who was like......I dunno,  _ attached  _ to me or something.”

 

“Hm.....It sounds a bit like Wes has his own problems, and he’s projecting them onto you. Is that all he said?”

 

“No. He said he’d tell everyone that I’m a monster, everyone at school, and that they’d ‘believe him eventually.’ I just......don’t want him to scare away any friends before I can make them.”

 

“Do you not have any friends, Danny?”

 

“Well......kind of? My parents are.......really weird, so I’ve never had friends until like, sixth grade. And then, some shit happened last July, and then they didn’t really wanna be around me anymore after that.”

 

“I see....do you think your interests have just.....changed?”

  
“Pff.....nah, it’s definitely something about me.”

 

“About you?”

 

“Yeah. In fact, I  _ know  _ it’s about me.”

 

\--

 

_ 5 months left..... _

 

“You’re over halfway done, Danny! Are you doing okay in school? I know you said you wanted to be an astronaut, right?”

 

“Yeah, but.......math is  _ really hard.” _

 

“I feel that. My mother was an accountant, her mother was an accountant, and I was going to be an accountant!”

 

“So why become a therapist instead?”

 

“I really hate math.”

 

“Pfff.....hahahaha!”

 

\--

 

_ 4 months left.... _

 

“Hey, it’s your birthday today, right?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“April third. That’s today’s date. Sorry, I forgot they didn’t give you a calendar.”

 

“Oh. OH! Yeah, it is my birthday!”

 

“Happy birthday! 15, right?”

 

“Yeah!”

 

“Aha, well, congratulations! Got any big plans?”

 

“Ah, not much. Probably gonna go outside later though, it’s supposed to be nice. Maybe if I’m lucky, there’ll be a quiet corner free. I can take a nap.”

 

“Heh, that sounds like a good plan!”

 

\--

 

_ 3 months left..... _

 

“Hey, Danny......You know, we do need to talk eventually about why you hit Dash, right?”

 

“Yeah, I know.....I just....don’t know how to explain it so you believe me.”

 

“Well, I’m pretty open-minded. Tell me, and I promise I won’t judge you!”

 

“Really? It’s....pretty unbelievable.”

 

“I promise! Scout’s honor.”

 

“Well, okay then. It happened like this....”

 

\--

 

_ 2 months left...... _

 

“Hiya Danny! Is everything okay?”

 

“..........”

 

“Danny?”

 

“................my parents visited me today.”

 

“Really? That’s great!”

 

“It’s been almost a year, Dr. Spectra. Why are they only visiting me  _ now?” _

 

“.......did they say something that made you upset, Danny?”

 

“......no.”

 

“Really?”

 

“............................................”

 

“Danny....”

 

“They.....didn’t say anything at all, actually.....just...stared at me through the glass. Watching.”

 

“I see...”

 

“My mom wouldn’t stop crying.....”

 

\--

 

_ 1 week left...... _

 

“I can’t believe it’s been a whole year already! Are you ready to go back home, Danny?”

 

“Yeah, I am. It’ll be weird, but....”

 

“But?”

  
“I’m  _ really  _ looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again.”

 

\--

 

_ 0 months left. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and with that, we close the juvie arc (thank fuck). next up is Aftermath, and after that we have Justice. i'm thinking the final arc is called something along the lines of Monster | Killer, bc i like the irony.
> 
> anyway. what do y'all think of how i wrote spectra?


	23. Chapter 23: Aftermath Arc

When Danny took his first breath of free air in over a year, the only thing he could think was  _ ‘Man, Dr. Spectra was right.’  _ He didn’t pay much attention to whatever they were telling him as his mom signed him out, pulling his clothes on almost on autopilot. He flexed his hands, staring at his cuff-free wrists.

 

Unfortunately, there was thick scarring encircling his wrists, but he figured that the lightning scars would be more noticeable, and thus he didn’t really care much. He couldn’t stop staring at the walls and ceiling, even that little bit of color seeming bright compared to the drab greyness of inside the blocks.

 

“Danny?” His mother’s voice broke through his musings. He startled, head snapping around to stare at her disbelievingly. It was the first time she’d talked to him since the interrogation room.....Man, that seemed like so long ago. He shook his head, focusing again.

 

“Sorry, what did you say?” he asked, tilting his head. She swallowed, motioning to the door. He blushed slightly, but nodded and followed her out. He immediately spotted the GAV, standing out among the smaller cars like an eagle among chickens. He headed for it, surprised to see Jack in the driver’s seat. He changed course, instead climbing into the backseat, not meeting his dad’s eyes.

 

The silence was oppressive. He could almost  _ taste  _ the disapproval, weighing heavy and bitter on his tongue. He frowned, buckling his seatbelt and settling back, going back to staring at his hands. His arms itched, the hoodie feeling almost  _ too  _ warm now. He wrestled it off without taking off his seatbelt, smiling slightly as his arms were freed. He turned to stare out the window as they pulled out of AYDC’s parking lot, absently tracing the scars on his left arm gently. It tingled a bit, but thankfully they didn’t hurt anymore.

 

Idly, he wondered how Jason, Sonny, Owen, and Emily were doing. He hadn’t seen Emily at all, but he knew Owen was in F now. At least, he assumed he was still in there. He’d seen them dragging him down the hallway his cell was in, but he’d been transferred before Owen showed up in the cafeteria. He’d been muttering something about his sister, but Danny wasn’t sure who his sister was.

 

He also had seen Jason and Sonny, but Sonny ran away whenever they saw him, and Jason had seemed content to just watch him across the yard. He couldn’t remember either of them getting visitors, and frowned slightly. Even though his visitors were mostly just Meyers, just  _ knowing  _ that there was something  _ out there _ probably kept him going through the year. But Jason and Sonny.......He wasn’t sure if they had  _ anybody. _

 

First chance he got, he was looking up visitation hours. He’d catch a bus, hitchhike if he had to. He refused to leave his friends......acquaintances? Whatever they were, he refused to leave them all by themselves. 

 

\--

 

They pulled up in the alley beside the house, the sudden stop jerking Danny awake. He tensed up, ready to fight, before realizing what had happened. He unbuckled his belt, but Maddie didn’t seem to be moving any time soon. “Um.....Mom? We’re here....are you getting out?” he asked, frowning. She sighed, turning around in her seat to look at him.

 

He raised his eyebrow, now thoroughly confused. “Danny, before we go inside, we need to talk to you.” He narrowed his eyes, confused.

 

“What do you mean?” he asked, biting back a sarcastic retort. She frowned, her eyes tired.

 

“Danny, we need to lay out some new rules.” His eyes widened, and he blinked hard, jaw twitching slightly.

 

“A-Alright. Can’t say I wasn’t expecting it. Whaddya got?” he asked, feigning nonchalance to hide the fact he was freaking out over everything  _ changing.  _ She gritted her teeth before taking a deep breath, visibly calming herself.

 

“Some of these were laid out by the judge after you left, and some are new house rules.” Her eyes sharpened, like she was mentally reading a list. “You can’t leave Amity Park without at least one of us, and we need to inform the parole officer before you leave. You’ll need to check in with us every half hour for the rest of the summer, and every hour during the school year. If you don’t answer, we will be calling your teachers or the police, depending. When you leave school, you’ll come straight home. Any activities outside school will need to be pre-approved by us. And since you won’t be spending hours playing DOOM with your friends, we expect your grades to be above a C-average the entire year. We heard you took your freshman year at AYDC, so those transcripts will be sent over to Caspar, so you should start sophomore year with everyone else. Do you understand?” she asked, crossing her arms.

 

Danny was quiet for a moment, trying to process the influx of new information. “So basically, no friends, no fun, no nothing. Check in every half hour, no vacations, above a C. Got it.” He looked at her, unamused. “Anything else?”

 

The bitterness of the tense silence shifted into the tangy taste of apprehension, and he nearly flinched at the sudden burst of citrus on his tongue. “N-No, I can’t think of anything else. Jack?” she asked, clearing her throat and looking over at him. He looked over his shoulder at Danny, eyes narrowed.

 

“Don’t go in the lab.”

 

\--

 

After the third time waking up at the top of the basement stairs with no memory of how he got there, Danny had had enough. “Phantom, this has to stop!” he hissed at his mirror, the only place he could actually see the ghost hovering over his shoulder.

 

Phantom grinned sickly at him, pointed tongue lolling out of his mouth as he tilted his head like a dog.  _ “̕Wh̡͘͡a͠t͟ do ͘y̴͝o̴̡u̷͢ ͏m̢̛͢e̸̵͜a̵̧n,̨͠ ͢͜My҉ O҉͟th̸e̷r?̷̸” ̶ _ Danny scowled, brushing his hair away from his face.

 

“The fucking.....taking over my body and shit!” he growled, frustrated. Phantom laughed, and Danny fought not to cover his ears. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard and the hissing of a thousand angry demons, echoing around his room and inside his skull. “Stop that! It’s not  _ f̸unn͝y̷͜!̨” _

 

_ “I̷҉t̛’̸҉s͢͝ ͞a̸͘ l̴itt̷̨̕l͘͢͜e ͜͞f͠u̡̨n̷͜n̷͢y.͏”̢  _ Danny glared at the ghost in the mirror, growling low in his throat. The lamp on his desk flickered dangerously, the bulb shattering not even thirty seconds later. Glass shards blew outwards, one whizzing past his cheek and embedding itself into his wall. Blood oozed out of the thin cut, dripping sluggishly down his face, even as the cut began to heal. He wiped the blood away from his cheek absently, even as Phantom’s eyes flared brighter.

 

“Well, funny or not, don’t fucking do it anymore, got it? I’m already on thin ice, and I don’t want to make it worse!” he snapped. Phantom’s perpetual grin dimmed, and he honestly looked confused.

 

_ “̸̵͡B̕u̢̕͟t ̢͢w̢̕hy҉̸?͠ ͢͢͏Yǫ͘u ͞d҉͞on’͏t̡͘ ͘n̷e͜e͞d ̷t̷͘o͜͟ ͟l͡i͢s̷̡t͢e̴n̷͟ ͡t̴̢o̴̷̧ th̸e̴̢m.͢ ͏J͜u̶̧͞s̕t͏ do͡͠ ̷w̷ha̸̧t҉̡ ͢͞͠y͢͢o̢u wa̵n̨t͡ ̧͞an͢͟d ͟i͜gn͢͢o̵͞re͜ tḩ̴e͠m̡!̧͡”҉  _ he said, crossing his arms. Danny scowled.

 

“It’s not that easy!” he snapped, clenching his fists tightly at his sides. Phantom’s frown deepened, brows furrowed.

 

_ “W̷̛h͞y?̡̡ ̶̷Wh͘y i̴̸̧s̛͞n̴’̢t ̡i͝t̡̕ ̧͠th̨͜at ҉ȩ̶a͠͡͠s̛y̸̵̛? ̷̢Y̸̨o̧u͠’r̡͘e͢ ͡͏̧ş҉t̸ro̷͢n̵͢g͠er͘ ͠t̷h͠a̶͢͞n t̡͟͡h̷̵e̸͞m̸,”̨͟  _ he pointed out. Danny gritted his teeth, counting to ten and trying to calm himself down.

 

“Because if they caught me—!” he started, but Phantom cut him off.

 

_ “̷͝T҉h̨e͟n͠҉ ͡don͘’̴t̴̢͝ ҉l̶et ̵t̛͠he̸m͘ ̨ca̡t̛c̨͢h ͘y͘͞o̡u̷.͘͡”͟ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRANSLATIONS:
> 
> Zalgo Text
> 
> "What do you mean, My Other?"
> 
> funny!
> 
> "It's a little funny."
> 
> "But why? You don't need to listen to them. Just do what you want and ignore them!"
> 
> "Why? Why isn't it that easy? You're stronger than them!"
> 
> "Then don't let them catch you."


	24. Chapter 24: Aftermath Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i got tired of zalgo text any lines that are totally italicized are ghost speak, i'll still do it for danny slipping into ghost speak tho

Danny’s protest died on his lips. He frowned, trying to figure out how to rebut that. “What do you mean, just don’t let them catch me?” he asked instead. Phantom scowled, his form glitching out around the edges.

 

_ “Are you stupid? How is that complicated?”  _ he hissed, glaring darkly at Danny. Despite himself, he flinched, dropping his gaze.

 

“I just......you don’t mean hurt them, do you?” he asked, his voice small. Phantom’s scowl morphed into a grin, but his glare didn’t lessen. The shadows in the room grew darker, and Danny could see his breath on the air.

 

_ “If that’s what is necessary. Do not kill, only harm, and do not get caught.”  _ Danny’s eyes widened, and his head shot up.

 

“W-Wait, you  _ didn’t  _ mean for me to kill them?!” he asked, startled. Phantom blinked.

 

_ “No? Ghosts are....complicated. I do not want trouble, only fun. I’m......”  _ He paused for a minute, scrunching his nose up.  _ “Bored? I want **fun,** not these stupid human  _ **_rules._ ** _ You understand?”  _ He looked at Danny imploringly, tilting his head.

 

Danny, for his part, was conflicted. On one hand, juvie had sucked, and he  _ really  _ didn’t want to go back. But at the same time......he was bored too. His palms itched with the need to  _ do  _ something, anger and bitter indignation burning low in his belly. He felt like something under his ribcage was scratching at him, demanding  _ out.  _ And while, logically, that could be Phantom, he felt it was something......else. Something wrong with  _ him,  _ that wouldn’t go away by waiting it out.

 

He looked up, and his mind was made up. “Alright. But I have a few conditions.”

 

\--

 

He waited until his parents were asleep and the house was silent before he crept out of his room, socked feet silent on the dusty hardwood. He stole downstairs, padding through the kitchen to the basement door. It loomed before him, dark and ominous.

 

He hesitated, hand hovering by the knob.  _ “What’s wrong? Just open the door?”  _ Phantom whispered. Danny felt his freezing hands brush against the back of his neck, the chill feeling strangely pleasant on his skin, even as it sunk through the thin cotton of his pajama shirt.

 

“The door is too loud....It’ll wake them up,” he whispered, voice barely louder than a breath. Phantom was silent for a moment, and then Danny felt like his world was wrapped in cotton. He couldn’t hear, his eyes were blurry, and his limbs tingled.

 

_ “Hold still, My Other. I’ll get us through the door,”  _ Phantom whispered, his hissing voice mingling and mixing oddly with Danny’s, like two voices layered into one. Danny shivered mentally, the thought creeping him out. Phantom chuckled, before going silent once more.

 

This time, it felt like he’d swallowed a block of ice, cold radiating from his stomach as another, stronger, tingling sensation washed over his whole body. Phantom walked forward, passing through the door with ease before the tingling went away. Danny blinked, taking in a huge gulp of air when feeling returned to his body. He panted for a second, eyes wide. “Breathing, I gotta  _ breathe!”  _ he hissed at Phantom, hands on his knees. Phantom didn’t answer, but Danny felt a distinct feeling of  _ ‘sorry’  _ in the air.

 

He took another moment, getting his breathing back to near-silent before continuing down the stairs. The basement, surprisingly, wasn’t pitch-black like he’d expected. Instead, everything seemed awash in a faint green light. When he lifted his hand, he was surprised to find his scars glowing faintly green, like he knew his freckles did. “Woah....” he murmured, a small, breathless smile crossing his face. “That’s  _ cool...” _

 

He watched his scars pulse for a moment longer before shaking himself out of his stupor, making his way carefully through the lab. He headed for the rack of HAZMAT suits, ignoring the gut-wrenching terror he felt looking at them. He pointedly avoided looking at the portal, instead looking through the suits until he found the rack with his name on them. He pulled a small gas mask off of one of the pegs, pulling at the elastic to test it.

 

The mask was made of thick plastic, the back open with a thick elastic band wrapping around it. The sides had a rubber seal, and the entire thing was tinted. He grinned darkly, grip tightening. “Perfect...”

 

\--

 

Danny woke up the next day shaky, excitement and guilt battling in equal measure in his stomach.  _ “Other, are you alright?”  _ Phantom asked, watching curiously as Danny tried his best to act normal. A twitch was the only reaction he got, and in hindsight maybe asking while Danny was near his parents wasn’t a good idea.

 

“Danny, your dad and I are going to be out today. Jazz is in charge, do your chores. I expect them to all be done when we get home tonight. There’s money in the freezer for pizza, make sure to remember to tip the delivery guy. Alright?” Maddie asked, not looking up from the ectopistol she was trying to repair. Danny frowned, swallowing his bit of cereal.

 

“Yep, got it...” he muttered, setting the spoon down. Phantom tilted his head at the ectopistol, eyes widened in curiosity. He floated closer, jerking back when a small, shrill alarm sounded. Maddie’s eyes snapped up, and she flicked her goggles down. Danny stiffened when he felt the disconnect between his limbs and his brain again, once again watching through the wool.

 

Maddie glared around the room through her goggles, absently shutting off the alarm. She frowned, glancing down at it. “Damn thing’s broken....” she muttered, going back to working on the pistol. Phantom pushed away the cereal dregs, standing up. He tried to act normally, jerkily picking up the bowl and taking it to the sink, placing it down harder than he meant to.

 

The bowl made a loud  _ thump  _ against the ceramic, and Maddie looked up again. “Danny? Are you okay?” she asked, frowning. Phantom’s eyes widened, and he quickly shoved Danny back to the front, afraid his voice would give him away.

 

Danny blinked, dizzy and disoriented. He winced at the harshness of the lights, rubbing his eyes and grimacing. “Y-Yeah mom, I’m fine....Just a headache,” he muttered, head pounding. Everything seemed  _ too much, _ the lights harsh and even the soft cotton of his shirt feeling like a brillo pad. He squinted his eyes nearly closed, staggering into the living room. He felt her suspicious gaze on his back the entire way out.

 

He collapsed on the couch, throwing his arm over his eyes. He twitched when he heard footsteps, stiffening when the couch next to him dipped. He took a deeper breath than normal, passing it off as a yawn.

 

None of that bitter coffee cake taste he’d associated with suspicion. Instead, there was just a fresh, minty taste, along with chocolate and coffee. Pride, with stress and exhaustion. Jazz, then. Thankfully, she didn’t speak, though that wasn’t really a surprise.

 

Jazz didn’t talk much at all anymore.

 

He frowned, biting his lip. “Hey, Jazz....?” he asked hesitantly. The rustling of papers paused, but no words came. “Can you drive me to AYDC when Mom and Dad leave?”

 

_ That  _ got a reaction. Grapefruit and burned rubber swamped his tongue even as she sat up and stared at him incredulously. “You want to go  _ back?!”  _ she asked, voice hoarse. He blushed slightly, glad his eyes were covered.

 

“I.....had friends there. Jason, Sonny, and Owen. They......I don’t think they have anyone visiting them, and......I don’t want them to think that there’s nobody out here who cares about them. I just.....want to be there for them,” he said, blush deepening. The silence dragged on, and he began to regret saying anything.

 

“Alright.” He sat bolt upright, staring at her with wide eyes. She blushed and scoffed, looking away from him. “W-What?! Stop looking at me like that!” she said defensively. He broke into a wide grin, tackling her and hugging her around the middle, his stream of thank you’s muffled by her stomach. She laughed, trying to push him off, but he just held on tighter, stubborn gratitude filling him with strength. “C’mon, you leech, get offa me! I get it already!” she laughed, giving up.

 

Danny grinned up at her, eyes sparkling with mirth. “You’re the best, Jazz.”


	25. Chapter 25: Aftermath Arc

It took another half hour of waiting before his parents bundled into the GAV, driving off to who-knows-where. Danny watched out the window until they were out of sight, before running to Jazz’s car so fast he swore he felt wind ruffling his hair. She followed soon after, a mug of coffee and her wallet in her hands. “Ready?” she asked, sounding amused. He nodded, buckling and tapping his leg agitatedly. Phantom cackled behind him, causing him to wince slightly from the noise. Jazz set her stuff down and buckled, backing out of the driveway carefully. Danny stared out of the window, wanting to say something, but unable to pick anything out of the clump of words clogging his throat.

 

Before, it had seemed like such a good plan. Now, anxiety made him want to swallow his own tongue, nausea curdling his stomach the more he thought until all he wanted to do was ask Jazz to take them back home. So instead, he turned on the radio, letting the cheesy pop song of the hour fill the silence instead. He relaxed into his chair, letting the music blur the scenery until his brain forgot to keep track of time and finally quieted.

 

When he opened his eyes again, he nearly tried to bust out of the window until he realized they were in the visitor lot. Still, the sight of the building looming in front of him made his heart rate pick up uncomfortably. “Danny? Are you okay?” Jazz asked, concerned. Danny swallowed, shoving away half-formed feelings of metal on his skin and nodded.

 

“Y-Yeah. C’mon, let’s go,” he said, unbuckling the seatbelt and getting out. She frowned, but nodded anyway.

 

“Do you want me to come into the visiting room with you, or wait outside?” she asked. He stopped, blinking.

 

“I.....want to talk to him alone, but.......can you come inside with me?” he asked. She smiled at him gently and nodded, offering her hand. He smiled slightly, lacing his fingers through hers and squeezing gently. She hadn’t offered to hold his hand since he was seven, and he missed the quiet comfort of  _ knowing  _ someone else was  _ there. _

 

When he walked in, he almost got lost, until he found a sign leading him to reception. Coming in from this side made everything seem so alien, so different, and he had a hard time connecting a place that looked like a hospital waiting room with what he knew went down behind locked doors. he swallowed thickly, squeezing Jazz’s hand tighter, trying to ground himself. Together, they went to the check-in desk.

 

Jazz had fallen silent again, a pillar of quiet support at his side. Danny cleared his throat, clenching his free hand to keep it from shaking. “H-Hi, I’m here to visit someone?” he said, voice coming out in a croak. The receptionist glanced up at him, eyes widening behind her glasses. His shoulders tensed, and he fought the urge to duck his head.

 

“R-Right, your name?” she stuttered, visibly tearing her eyes away from his scars. He frowned, irritated. He wasn’t some.....some.....some kind of  _ sideshow freak. _

 

“Daniel Fenton,” he bit out, glaring. Jazz nudged his shoulder gently, and he calmed down slightly. It didn’t  _ matter. _ It didn’t matter what some rando lady at a visitor’s desk thought of him.

 

“And who are you here to see?” she asked, typing something into the computer in front of her. It took a second, as he wasn’t sure who he’d want to visit first.

 

“Um....Jason. Jason Gale?” he said, hoping he’d gotten the name right. He seemed to, since she didn’t ask for clarification or say that was no such person. Instead, she typed something else into the computer.

 

“Will your......companion be joining you?” she asked.

 

“N-No, she’s gonna stay out here.” The lady nodded, typing one more thing into the computer before pulling out a sheet of paper.

 

“These are the rules for visitation. Please read them over and sign at the bottom, and I’ll call an officer to take you to the visitation room,” she said, not looking at him even as she handed him the paper. He scowled, but agreed anyway. He read over the paper, noting that he wasn’t allowed to give hugs, carry restricted substances, or have any weapons, among other things. He grabbed a pen out of a cup, a regular Bic with a plastic flower on the end. Probably to give the place some color. He signed his name and penned the date on the line next to it before putting the pen back and giving her the paper. “Alright, you’re all set,” she said. She pulled out a radio, turning to speak into it. “Officer Jenson, I’ve got a visitor for Jason Gale.” She waited for a second, before a voice on the other end squawked back an affirmative. A door at the end of the room buzzed open, and a tall, stern-faced man walked out.

 

Danny could see the exhaustion, though. His eyes had dark circles under them, and his entire stance spoke of one too many long nights spent awake. He nodded at Danny, motioning him through the door. Danny swallowed nervously, letting go of Jazz’s hand and following. He couldn’t help but shrink into himself when the heavy metal door closed behind him, his breathing speeding up involuntarily. “This way,” Jenson rumbled, leading Danny down a side hallway. Danny very pointedly ignored the doors that led to the cell hallway, instead following Jenson down a different side hallway that led to the D block visitor room.

 

Jenson swiped a card, opening the door and leading Danny inside. “If there’s any trouble, yell. I’ll be right outside.” Danny nodded, watching him leave before letting out an explosive breath, running his hands through his hair. He barely had a chance to calm down before the door on the other side was opening, and Jason walked through.

 

His eyes widened comically, and he turned back around, seeming fully intent to march back out. Unfortunately for him, the door was already shut. Danny smiled weakly, wincing when hot peppers and sugarcane seeped onto his tongue. “Look, Jason.....” he started, but almost immediately trailed off. He didn’t know what to say.

 

Jason, on the other hand, seemed to have plenty to say. “Don’t you fucking try me, Fenton. We aren’t friends. We were barely cellmates.” He growled in frustration, pacing the far end of the room like a caged animal. “Do you know how fucking  _ terrifying  _ you are?!” he snapped. Danny’s eyes widened.

 

“W-Wait,  _ I’m  _ terrifying?!” he asked incredulously. “I’m 5’4, thin as a stick, and have no muscle to speak of. How the hell am  _ I  _ terrifying?!” Jason snorted, glaring at him.

 

“Are you kidding me? You’ve got super strength, you’re  _ dead,  _ and you suck all the happiness out of a room whenever you walk in! One week with you, and I was ready to talk to Spectra and ask her to up the dose on my meds. You’re like a goddamn vampire.” He scowled, clenching his fists. “Why did you come back?” Danny blinked, jarred from the abrupt topic change.

 

“Why—because I  _ care  _ about you, asshole!” he snarled. The lights flickered ominously, causing both of them to look up warily. Danny took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm himself. “I came back because in the entire year I was here, I never saw you, Sonny, or Owen get any visitors. Ever. So.....I didn’t want you guys to forget there was something out there, waiting.” He collapsed in the chair across from Jason, raking his hand through his hair again.

 

They were silent for a minute, Jason pausing in his pacing as Danny flexed his hands rhythmically. Finally, he spoke again. “When I was in F, and I wasn’t allowed visitors.......I started to think that all there was was my cell, the cafeteria, and Dr. Spectra. I started to feel the only place I could be  _ safe  _ was my cell, and......that’s not good. There’s a whole  _ world  _ out there, Jason. We’re not here forever, so....I didn’t want you to forget. I didn’t want you to think that all there is that’s good is what they want you to depend on.” He huffed, crossing his arms and looking away. “So......that’s why I came back.”

 

Jason paused in his pacing, facing the far wall. His shoulders trembled slightly, and his knuckles were stark white. Finally, he sat across from Danny. “...........Thanks.” Danny’s head shot up, surprise written on every inch of his face. Jason scowled and looked away, the tips of his ears turning red, barely visible under his shaggy blonde hair. “G-Get that stupid look off yer face!” he snapped, gritting his teeth. Danny looked away again, but he couldn’t hide the smile on his lips. “It’s just......I never thought about it like that. Honestly, I’d forgotten you were in F.” He sighed, leaning back in his chair. “So....thanks, for coming back. Are you gonna visit Sonny too?” he asked.

 

Danny shrugged. “If I can. I don’t know their last name. Is Owen out of F yet?” he asked. Jason shook his head.

 

“Not that I know of. I haven’t seen him for a while now.” He frowned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know their last name either. I can ask, though. Think you can come back in like....a week?” he asked. Danny shrugged.

 

“I don’t know. I barely managed to get out of the house today. My parents went on a business trip today, so I managed to get my sister to take me, but they’re cracking down real tight lately. I’ll do my best, though. I’ll make something up if I have to,” he said, glancing back at the door. Jason nodded, smiling weakly. Danny stood up, frowning at the door. “They’re coming back. I’ll do my best, alright? Remember this isn’t all there is.”

 

Jason nodded again, holding out his hand for a fist bump. Danny chuckled, returning it gently, trying not to break Jason’s hand. “See ya later, Danny,” he said, waving just as the door opened. Officer Jackson shot Danny a squinty-eyed glare, but he just waved innocently. She rolled her eyes, leading Jason out just as Officer Jenson came back to take Danny back to reception.

 

When they got there, Jazz nearly vaulted out of her chair and checked him over. He just barely managed to calm her down, simultaneously leading her out the door to the parking lot. She wiped her eyes gently on the sleeve of her MSOE hoodie, climbing into the driver’s seat. Danny got in as well, buckling and practically slumping into the chair. “Thanks for taking me, Jazz,” he said softly. She just nodded and smiled slightly in return, apparently done with talking for the day.

 

He let the music blur the surroundings once more, watching the building fade out of sight. Too bad the bad memories weren’t so easy to get rid of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one of my friends said they wanted danny and jason to be bros. here ya go, pal.


	26. Chapter 27: Aftermath Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love the fenton parents i swear

They made it home around one, luckily just before Maddie called to check in. Danny, being the first inside, picked up the phone. “Hello?” he asked.

 

_ “Danny, can you put your sister on?”  _ Maddie asked. Danny narrowed his eyes, looking over at Jazz.

 

“She’s not talking any more today,” he said. Maddie made an annoyed noise, though through the phone it sounded more like a rush of static.

 

_ “I still need to talk to her.”  _ The “because I don’t trust  _ you”  _ went unspoken, but Danny heard it loud and clear. He glared at the wall, smirking slightly when the static started getting worse.

 

“Sorry mom, you’re breaking up. We’re fine, the house is fine, everything’s fine. Talk to you later,” he said shortly, hesitating a bit. “Seriously though, Jazz really isn’t wanting to talk. Text her next time. I love you....” he said.

 

_ “Dan--l F---o- don’t you -a-- hang up be---e you p-t your si---- on the ----!”  _ Maddie snapped, but Danny ignored her, and the pain in his chest, before putting the landline back on the hook. Jazz made a questioning noise, and he sighed, raking his hand through his hair.

 

“It was mom. She wanted to check in, wouldn’t listen when I told her you weren’t talking anymore.” He shook his head, heading for the kitchen. The ravenous hunger was back, and he planned to clear out as much as he could of the fridge before it went away again. “You want anything to eat?” he asked as he passed the couch. She thought for a second, then nodded.

 

She pulled a pad of yellow notepaper towards her, clicking her pen and scribbling something down. She tore it off the pad and handed it to him, smiling before sinking back into the couch cushions. Sensing that was the best he was going to get out of her, as she’d once more retreated into the folds of her oversized hoodie, he continued on.

 

He looked over the paper, rolling his eyes when he saw that just  _ ‘Ramen :)’  _ was written on it. She needed to start taking care of herself again. He wasn’t sure what had happened while he was away, but.......something changed with Jazz. Maybe it was just senioritis.

 

He hoped so.

 

\--

 

He came back to the living room with a bowl of ramen, some leftover radish soup, three rolls, a thick slice of ham, some weirdly green hotdogs that smelled like sugared lime and had tiny faces on them, and two bowls of rice. He handed Jazz the ramen, sitting the rest of the stuff down on the coffee table and pulling one of the rice bowls towards him. She looked wide-eyed between him and the food, and something inside him rose up on its hackles. He hunched over his rice bowl, eyes flashing slightly green, and his lip pulled back slightly. Jazz quickly looked away again, staring into the depths of her bowl and trembling near-imperceptibly.

 

He blinked, eyes widening slightly. He didn’t apologize, instead looking away and eating his rice in silence. You could cut the tension in the room with a knife, but still, he pretended everything was fine.

 

\--

 

The food was gone. The hunger was still there though, gnawing at his ribcage. He scowled, heading back to the kitchen. The fridge was empty. It was only two in the afternoon, way too early for dinner. He scowled, pulling his wallet out of his back pocket. He still had a twenty in there from last year’s birthday money from Vlad, who seemed weirdly insistent on spoiling him and Jazz. He shook his head, shoving it back in his pocket and heading for the front door. He pulled his shoes on, grabbing his house keys off the rack. “I’m going to the Nasty Burger, I’ll be back later!” he called, heading outside before Jazz could stop him.

 

Once outside, he sighed, letting his shoulders slump. The oppressive atmosphere of the house was lessened, now that he was outside. He’d seriously missed the sun...... He shook his head, stretching and heading down the sidewalk to the Nasty Burger. He wasn’t sure if he was going the right way, but it was after noon. He was pretty sure the road by the park would take him there.......unless it was a Thursday. “I’m pretty sure it’s Tuesday, though...” he muttered, shrugging and shoving his hands in his pockets. He shivered when Phantom brushed against his neck.

 

_ “Other, where are we going?”  _ he asked. Danny glanced around him, making sure the street was empty. Or, at least, that there weren’t so many people around he’d get weird looks.

 

“The Nasty Burger. It’s a burger joint me and my friends used to hang out at. I’m hungry, and the house is out of food,” he explained quietly. Phantom hummed, the air around them dropping another five or so degrees before he reigned it in.

 

_ “Are burgers good? Are they good like fear? Good like the ambrosia?”  _ Phantom asked. Danny frowned.

 

“I have no idea what you mean by ambrosia, and I don’t know what fear tastes like,” he said. A preppy-looking girl crossed the street when she realized they were heading right for each other. A cat meowed at passersby from the railing of an apartment building. A bird pecked at something on the street.

 

_ “The green in your parent’s lair. In the lined cups. The.......The ambrosia!”  _ Phantom said, sounding frustrated. A flowerpot shattered, dirt spilling out on the sidewalk. Someone yelped in surprise. An old woman shot them a dirty look from her porch. Danny kept walking, turning into the park.

 

“The ectoplasm? I’ll admit.....burgers aren’t quite as tasty as that. They still taste pretty good, though.” He frowned, removing his hands from his pockets and scratching at his scars absently. A small child stared as he walked past, heading through the little path made by the trees. “The lined cups are called beakers. They’re made of glass,” he added, sighing in relief when the Nasty Burger loomed up ahead. Looks like it wasn’t Thursday after all. “I wonder if Sam and Tucker will be there.....” he mused.

 

_ “They are very fun to be around,”  _ Phantom agreed. Danny snorted, yawning.

 

“Yeah, when they aren’t acting like I’m a ticking time bomb. I just wish I had my phone still....” He scowled, rolling his eyes. “Whatever. I’m not bugged if they’re there or not. I just want food.”

 

He went inside, twitching slightly when the noise of the restaurant washed over him. He rubbed his ear, heading for the counter and looking over the menu. They seemed to have a few new specialty items, but otherwise, the menu was pretty much the same. “Welcome to the Nasty Burger, how can I help you?” the cashier asked. Danny smiled weakly, scratching his arm a bit harder.

 

“Yeah, can I get....uhhhhh.........three Big Nastys, a large soda, and a large order of onion rings please?” he asked, blushing a bit when her eyes widened comically. She blinked, shook her head, and put his order into the machine.

 

“U-Um, that’ll be $18.43, please...” she said, sounding a bit dazed. Danny pulled out his wallet and handed her the twenty. She put it in and counted out his change, handing it and the receipt back. “Your change is $1.57. You’re order number 34. Have a good day!” she said, slipping back into the peppy fast-food face. He nodded, taking the change.

 

“Thanks, you too,” he said, putting the money away and moving aside. He waited for a bit, stomach growling harder at the scent of grease and salt. Finally, his number was called. He grabbed his food and headed for a table in the back of the restaurant, tucking himself into a corner.

 

He finished the first burger in record time, starting on the second just as the bell above the door chimed. Out of habit, he looked up. His eyes widened when he saw the last people he wanted to right then.

 

“Danny? What the hell are you doing here?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wonder who that could be. vote now on your phones
> 
>  
> 
> maddie's last line on the phone call was "Daniel Fenton don't you dare hang up before you put your sister on the line!" btw
> 
> big thanks to the amity park gothic post for giving me the ability to worldbuild


	27. Chapter 27: Aftermath Arc (END)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> danny's in some deep shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as you can see from the title, this is the end of the Aftermath arc. in case you've forgotten, the next arc is called "Justice", and will deal with how danny in this au becomes a ghost hunter.
> 
> i'll give you a hint: he doesn't use the thermos.

 

Danny ignored Emily. He had eyes only for Wes, who’d turned white as a sheet and tried to quickly leave. He abandoned his food, making it to the door and dragging Wes outside almost too fast to see. He heard Emily and Valerie shouting at him from inside, but he ignored them, slamming Wes up against the wall of the building. Cracks spiderwebbed in the concrete from the force of the impact. Danny’s eyes flashed as his lip curled back, fangs glinting in the dying afternoon sun.

 

Wes stared at the air over Danny’s shoulder, his complexion like sour milk as he trembled in fear. “Did it make you feel _powerful,_ Weston? Riling up the juvie kid, knowing he couldn’t touch you because he was chained down? Did you _like it?”_ Danny snarled, pulling himself up on his tiptoes to glare into Wes’s eyes. When no response came, he shook him roughly, forcing Wes to look him in the eyes. “I asked you a fucking _QUESTION!”_

 

Wes gulped, a small bead of sweat forming at his temple. “I-I....N-No! I wasn’t.....I wasn’t thinking, just...” He trailed off, pressing his lips shut. Danny glared at him, clenching his fists tighter in the fabric of Wes’s shirt.

 

“I told you that when I got out, I’d make your life hell. You _deserve_ it, you know. _You’re_ the _real_ monster here!” he yelled, drawing his right fist back. Wes braced for a hit, turning his head to the side and squeezing his eyes shut. Danny’s vision edged green, and Phantom’s cackling rang in his ears, egging him on.

 

Until his wrist was caught.

 

He looked back, trying to yank his wrist out of their grip without hurting them. “Yo, Fenton! Cool ya jets, wouldja?!” Emily snapped, dragging him off of Wes. Valerie herded Wes away, rubbing his back and murmuring to him, occasionally shooting wary glances over her shoulder at Emily and Danny.

 

Danny growled, struggling harder. “Lemme go, Emily!” he snapped, jerking as she grabbed his other arm, pinning them behind his back. He stiffened, flashing back to the detention center.

 

_Fingers running up his arms._

_Lingering hands after getting pulled out of bed._

_Leering faces._

_Rough hands in the middle of the night._

 

 _“GET OFF OF ME!”_ he screamed, yanking his arms roughly out of her grip, pressing his back against the wall and glaring at her. She stumbled back, eyes wide. Her arms had bruises on them, but he couldn’t bring himself to feel sorry, not yet. “Just stay the hell away from me, Emily,” he snarled, eyes flashing in ~~fear~~ anger. He edged along the wall, quickly running back inside and grabbing his food, heading up to the counter.

 

“Can I help you?” the cashier asked. He took a breath, trying to calm the chill in his chest.

 

“Yeah, can I have a bag? I suddenly remembered I have to do something, and I spent twenty bucks on this, I ain’t about to throw it away,” he bit out. The cashier nodded quickly, leaning under the counter and grabbing a to-go bag. Danny nodded his thanks, quickly shoveling the food into the bag. He left the tray on top of a trash can, stalking out of the Nasty Burger and completely ignoring the three in the parking lot.

 

He didn’t talk the entire way home, instead seething quietly and trying to calm himself down. By time he made it to his street, he was feeling better, but then all that calm went straight out the window when he saw just who was parked in front of his house.

 

“Fuck.....” he breathed, staring straight at the GAV.

 

\--

 

In hindsight, trying to sneak in while everyone in the house was on high alert wasn’t his brightest idea, but he wasn’t a C student for nothing. He barely made it to the stairs before he was caught.

 

“And just where do you think _you’re_ going?” Maddie snapped, arms crossed. Danny jumped, quickly hiding the Nasty Burger bag behind his back. “We came home expecting two kids, not one and an otherwise empty house!” She was practically quivering in rage, her eyes looking like chips of blue ice.

 

Jack laid a hand on her shoulder, staring straight at Danny. “What in your hand?” he asked gruffly. Danny paled, hands shaking. A cold sweat formed on the small of his back, and he shifted guiltily.

 

“N-Nothing!” he said, maybe a bit too quickly. Jack’s eyes narrowed, and he stepped forward. Danny scrambled back, tripping on a step and sitting down hard. He winced, eyes widening when he realized the bag was now in plain view. He tried to scoop it up, but Jack was faster. “Hey, give it back!” he snapped.

 

“Nasty Burger, hm? You were supposed to stay home. Where did you get this?” he asked, shaking the bag a bit. Danny grit his teeth, eyes flashing. The temperature in the room dropped a full ten degrees, and one of the flowerpots on the windowsill shattered. An alarm blared from somewhere in the house, but it was quiet enough to be ignored.

 

“I didn’t get it from anywhere, now give it _BACK!”_ he snarled, hands shaking. He lunged for the bag, but Jack held it up over his head.

 

“I don’t think so. Since apparently we can’t trust you to stay _put_ when we leave, there’s going to be a few _more_ changes around here.” Maddie glared at him, teeth gritted. “After today, your door will be removed. You’ll give up your debit card, and we’ll be installing a security system in the house. A _human_ security system. Understand?” He glared right back, but nodded reluctantly. “Good. Now, hand it over.”

 

\--

 

He watched with empty eyes as his parents made quick work of his door, barely even twitching when Jack carried it past him. Maddie had searched the rest of the room, taking out anything she deemed “unhealthy” or “suspicious”, including his cell phone charge cable, his GameBoy, and the three pocketknives he had hidden in his sock drawer. The disappointed look he’d earned for that one almost got to him, but then he got stuck on wondering exactly why he’d hidden them in the first place, and it was soon forgotten.

 

She also set a blocker on his computer, restricting him from accessing any social media sites. He wasn’t too worried about that, but he _was_ annoyed he wouldn’t be able to message Sam or Tucker anymore. She’d well and truly cut off any contact with the outside world.

 

“I hope you learn something from this, Danny. We’re only doing this for your own good, you know,” she said, gathering her loot and nudging him as she walked away. He scowled, but didn’t comment. He really felt like he’d traded one prison for another.

 

Why the hell had he been excited to come home again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they're trying their best i swear i don't hate the fenton parents
> 
> this is gonna be the last update for a while. it's the last five days of school and my teachers are going crazy with what i like to call "Finals Week Fever", aka "time to make everyone present and do final projects that really should've been done three weeks ago" time. summer's right around the corner though, and the way things are looking now, i'll have all the time in the world to write, because nobody is fUCKING CALLING ME BACK
> 
> anyway.
> 
> thanks to those that commented on the last chapter! they were all very good guesses, but it was not the fentons, nor was it sam and tucker. i hope this was sufficiently dramatic, though!


	28. Chapter 28: Justice Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter fought me the entire way and it's kinda short and sucky but it was necessary. next chapter, if all goes according to plan, we should see some ghosts!

About a week later, school started. It had been a hellish week, full of a whirlwind of chores and nightly checks. The atmosphere in the house was so tense you could cut it with a knife, the entire house feeling like it was holding its breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Phantom was more unbearable than ever, constantly whining about being bored. Jazz never showed her face anymore, instead sleeping all day and only eating in the middle of the night. His parents weren’t around anymore, spending all their time in the lab, feeling secure in the knowledge that the new security system would catch any comings and goings.

 

So, school was a relief. Sure, he had to deal with whispering and rumors, as well as every self-styled “tough guy” hassling him in the hallways, but at least it wasn’t home. At least he could see his friends again.

 

Lunch is when the day went from bad to worse.

 

He sat at his usual lunch spot, waiting for Sam and Tucker (at the very least Sam, since she always brought her own food) to show up. He waited the entire lunch period, with no sign of them. He swore he saw Tucker’s signature red beanie flash by, but he blinked and lost track of it.

 

He needed to talk to them. He needed to make sure they didn’t hate him, to make sure they knew he didn’t mean to hurt Dash.

 

He needed to make sure they knew he’d _never_ hurt _them._

 

\--

 

He tried again the next day, and the day after that, feeling more and more like an abandoned puppy the longer he went without seeing them. On Thursday, it occurred to him that maybe they had a different lunch, but then he saw Sam walking to the music hall with a few unfamiliar people. She had a new haircut, he noted, a sort of half-shaved undercut, rather than the toptail she’d had freshman year.

 

It suited her.

 

She spotted him and her eyes lit up, and she excused herself from her friends. “Danny!” she called, waving. He blinked, pausing in drinking his water. He pinched himself when he spotted her coming towards him, and when it hurt, he scrambled to his feet, hurriedly capping the water.

 

“Sam!” She looked him over with an appraising eye, dragging him back into the alcove by the gym doors. “Man, it’s so good to see you again!” he beamed. She blinked, looking confused.

 

“Didn’t you get my texts? Or Tucker’s IMs?” she asked. He shook his head.

 

“No, my parents took my phone and locked down my computer. I only got my door back yesterday,” he explained. She frowned, brows furrowed.

 

“Why would they take your phone and stuff?” she asked. He snorted, smiling cynically.

 

“Dunno, maybe it’s because they think all my friends are ‘bad influences’,” he said, putting sarcastic airquotes at the end of the sentence. “T’be honest though, I really have no clue what they’re trying to accomplish. They grounded me for going to the _Nasty Burger_ by myself,” he complained, rolling his eyes. Sam raised an eyebrow, eyes widening.

 

“Yeah, that’s....a little extreme. I mean.......it kinda sounds like they got all these ideas outta one of them parenting mags, y’know?” she said. He nodded. “Well.....whatever, I guess. Hey, you wanna come sit in the band hall with me?” she asked.

 

“Yeah, sure, lemme grab my stuff,” he said, picking up his water bottle and slinging his backpack over his shoulder. “By the way, where the heck were you and Tuck this past week?” he asked.

 

“I have C lunch the rest of the week, you’re in A. Tucker has C today, but I don’t know why he hasn’t come to sit with you, he has A the rest of the week. I think he’s a bit busy with the robotics club, but.....they meet after school,” she explained. Seems his earlier hunch was right.

 

He shrugged loosely. “Alright, I guess...I’ll figure out a way to get in touch with him. Worst comes to worst, I’ll shoot him a DM on DOOM,” he said, running a hand through his hair. He needed to get it cut again, it was starting to turn into a mullet....

 

\--

 

“Val, I’m tellin’ ya! He’s not _human!”_ Wes ranted, pacing up and down the hallway. Valerie watched him with mild amusement, tinged with worry.

 

“You sure you didn’t bump your head too hard on that wall?” she asked. He whipped around to glare at her, the dark circles under his eyes making him look actually somewhat intimidating.

 

“I’m serious! Last year, I saw something like..... _attached_ to him, and now, he’s worse! It’s clearer, more defined, and I think it’s gaining color.” He looked at her pleadingly, running his hands through his hair. “Please, Val, I’m not crazy. I just.....” He sighed, slumping down next to her. He looked exhausted.

 

She patted his back soothingly, biting her lip when she felt him trembling. “Wes....it all sounds really strange, but.....” She sighed, resting her head against the wall. “I believe ya, I guess. I mean, it’s been a year, right? And you’re still tellin’ the same story, with the exact same details. If it were a lie, things would’ve changed, right?” He froze, but she didn’t stop talking. “Maybe I’m not to the point of believing you about _Mothman,_ but I’ll give you Danny. There really is _somethin’_ weird about that boy....”

 

He looked up, a painful hope sparkling in his eyes. “You.....You really believe me? You aren’t just saying that?” he asked softly. She nodded. He laughed softly, tears welling up in his eyes. “Thank you, Val.....You have _no idea_ how much that means to me....”

 

She chuckled, letting him rest his head on her shoulder. She played with the end of her scarf, lunches forgotten. “I think I have at least a little bit of an idea,” she teased. He choked out a watery laugh, poking her gently in the side.

 

“Seriously though......thank you.”


	29. Chapter 29: Justice Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: Cannibalism, Body Horror
> 
> (though tbfh body horror is just a warning for this entire fic hfhfhf)

Fifth period brought with it more complications. Not only did he have Wes in his class, but he also ended up getting sent to the principal. Not because of a fight, but because some kind of greyish green smoke leaking from his mouth, that the teacher swore was cigarette smoke. Danny wasn’t sure why she thought he’d be dumb enough to smoke in class, but that’s Ms. Spoon for you.

 

So here he was, sitting outside Principal Ishiyama’s door, when he saw an overweight lunch lady making her way down the hall towards the cafeteria. He glanced behind him, seeing Ishiyama still in her meeting.  _ “Follow the food woman. You can be fast, Boss Woman won’t notice if you hurry,”  _ Phantom promised. Danny shivered slightly, rubbing his arms through his hoodie sleeves, but nodded.

 

“Yeah.....you’re right.....” he muttered, getting a weird look from the punk-looking kid sat in the chair across from him. He shook his head, standing up, and headed for the door. The punk kid didn’t say anything, instead fixing their eyes on their phone pointedly. Danny got the message, hurrying out the door and down the hallway. He was almost stopped by the receptionist at the front desk, but a hurried grunt of “Bathroom” got him out of that situation.

 

He followed the woman to the cafeteria, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up the longer he walked. The smoke came back, thicker this time. He kept his mouth firmly closed, not letting any slip out between his teeth. The lunch lady went into the food prep area, which wouldn’t be strange, except she walked through the  _ closed  _ door. Nobody seemed to notice anything wrong, either, which just cemented Danny’s suspicion that she wasn’t human. He scowled, slipping into the alcove off the gym that led to the kitchens. “Phantom, can you help me out?” he muttered. Phantom snickered, and the bone-numbing cold gripped his heart again, senses dulling and sharpening as Phantom pushed them into intangibility. He stepped through the wall, taking an exaggerated breath in and out before making his way to where they saw the woman.

 

He relinquished control, but not without some grumbling. Danny took a huge, less gaspy breath, trying to calm his hammering heart. “Better....” he wheezed, clutching his chest to massage away the cold. The woman was hovering in the back of the room, murmuring sadly at the racks of pre-made deli sandwiches. “Um....hello?” Danny called. She turned around, tilting her head. He froze when he saw her, eyes widening.

 

She had sickly grey skin with bulging veins, liver spots, and thinning grey hair. Her eyes were solid white, and she looked like someone’s grandma.....crossed with a banshee.  _ “Child.....Do you know what these are?”  _ she asked. Her voice sounded strange, echoing in his head like Phantom’s did, though hers sounded more like several voices layered over one another.  _ “Today’s meal was supposed to be chicken alfredo......Why are there only salads and sandwiches?”  _ She tilted her head, hair floating out around her like she was floating in a swimming pool.

 

“Um......I....I’m pretty sure that this week is the annual vegan week, actually......I’m not sure, I brought my lunch from home, but........it’s new?” he said. She stiffened, even her hair going still.

 

_ “New......? Vegan Week........? No.........Not possible........”  _ She grit her teeth, eyes flashing red.  _ “THE MENU HAS BEEN THE SAME FOR FIFTY YEARS! CHANGES ARE NOT ALLOWED! NOT IN  _ **_MY_ ** _ MENU!”  _ she screeched. Lights around the kitchen burst, showering the room in glass and darkness. Danny yelped, throwing his arms up around his face and tensing up. Suddenly, everything stopped.  _ “Child? Child, I’m sorry.....I didn’t mean to scare you, little medium child....” _ She sounded so sad, and Danny chanced a look up. She was biting her lip, wringing her hands tightly. Her hair was limp around her face, her eyes (white again) peering out from behind her puffy bangs.

 

“I-It’s......It’s okay.....” he said, biting his lip. He winced when he accidentally bit  _ through  _ his lip, his freaky green-red blood beading up in the puncture. “Um.....Miss Lunch Lady......why does it matter so much that the menu stays the same?” he asked cautiously. She stiffened, back straightening.

 

_ “The menu is designed to be the healthiest it can be for the students! If they change it, how do they know the children are getting enough nutrients?!”  _ she said, waving her hands agitatedly. He frowned, brow furrowed.

 

“But.....a lot of kids just bring lunch from home this week, and the vegan kids who don’t bring lunch from home the rest of the year. There’s really no way to regulate it, so...” He trailed off, tilting his head. “So really, there’s no point in getting upset.” Her eyes tinged towards red again, but she stopped, a thoughtful look on her face.

 

_ “Then I’ll just make sure that  _ **_all_ ** _ the students eat lunch at school,  _ **_all_ ** _ the time,”  _ she said ominously. He froze, eyes wide. That hadn’t been what he meant at all! He tried to open his mouth to call out to her, but next thing he knew, there was a bright flash of light and he was once again shoved into the gloom.

 

His hand snapped out, gloved fingers digging into her arm.  _ “I wouldn’t try leaving, food lady,”  _ he giggled, eyes gleaming.  _ “My Other gets upset when people try and hurt the humans. He pouts forever, and he’s sooooo boring when he’s grumpy.....”  _ He giggled again, grinning widely. Sparks jumped between his teeth, flaring brighter as he twitched, tongue flicking out to lick his lips.

 

_ “Wh-hey! Let me go,  _ **_halfa!”_ ** she spat, snarling the last word like it was poison. Obviously, it was meant to be an insult, but he couldn’t find it within himself to care.

 

_ “You like the menu, right?”  _ he asked suddenly, drawing her closer until their noses were almost touching. She glared, but nodded slowly. His eyes widened and his grin brightened, the expression of childish innocence marred by the twitching.  _ “Great!!! Then you’re gonna  _ **_love_ ** _ what I’m gonna tell you next!”  _ he said happily, grip tightening. Her eyes widened in horror, and she started trying to tug her arm away.

 

_ “Hey! Let me go, you freak! No! Get off of me!”  _ she screeched, thrashing frantically in his grip. She clawed at his face with her free hand, rivers of red and green flowing from his fragile skin, blinding him in one eye. He hissed, face twisting up.

 

_ “I WAS GOING TO BE  _ **_NICE_ ** _ TO YOU!”  _ he screeched angrily. One of the metal tray carriers slammed against the opposite wall, the trays flying out and embedding in the drywall. The glass door of the oven shattered, and his twitching grew worse. His other hand shot out, ripping her hand away from his face. He snarled at her, eyes flaring bright green.  _ “You’re going to be the  _ **_main course,_ ** _ Grandma,”  _ he spat.

 

The last thing she saw was his jaw cracking open, much wider than should’ve been possible, before she saw no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	30. Chapter 30: Justice Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: cannibalism (pseudo-cannibalism?)

He woke to an empty kitchen and an uncomfortable warmth in his chest. Something sticky was smeared across the entirety of his lower face, and he could feel hunger gnawing at his stomach. He pawed at his face, staring at his hand uncomprehendingly. It had come away sticky and covered in green, the color of lime Jell-O, but the consistency of glue. He collapsed to his knees, staring in abject horror at his hand.

 

“No....” he whispered, searching his memory for any clue as to what had just happened. He couldn’t find anything but fuzz, memories blurring after the lunch lady ghost had shouted at him. Frantically, he used the sleeves of his hoodie to wipe the rest of the  ~~ (ectoplasm?) ~~ goop off of his face, rushing over to a nearby sink to wash the residue off. His sleeves now stained green and face dripping wet, he peeled the jacket off and tossed it into a corner, sitting down on the cold linoleum. He curled up into a ball, back pressed against the wall and hands gripping his hair tightly. “Phantom, what did you  _ do?”  _ he whispered harshly.

 

No response.

 

His eyes widened, breath catching in his throat. He could still feel him, the heavy chill in his chest, but couldn’t hear anything. Couldn’t  _ see  _ anything. He swallowed thickly, sniffling and wiping his eyes. He frowned at a strange, familiar flavor on his tongue, licking his teeth gently. More of the same flavor.

 

Something was up.

 

_ [He struggled to a sitting position, wrinkling his nose at the green fluid dripping off his suit to puddle around him. It was gross, sticky, and worst of all, it smelled  _ **_delicious._ ** _ Like a homecooked steak, fresh honey, and Sprite all in one amazing bundle. Without thinking about it, he sucked a bit off his glove while Tucker rambled at him. His eyes rolled back in his head and if he didn’t know better, he could’ve sworn he just purred. The smell didn’t lie, this was one of the most amazing things he’s ever eaten. _

 

_ “Danny! Don’t eat that, you don’t even know what it is!”] _

 

He froze, raising a trembling hand to his lips. He felt the sudden urge to throw up again, but managed to fight it back. The tears spilled out over his cheeks as he sat, hand pressed against his mouth, as realization hit.

 

He’d just  _ eaten  _ the lunch lady ghost.

 

\--

 

Raymond Neilson didn’t particularly enjoy his job. Who  _ would  _ enjoy cleaning up after over a thousand teenagers, plus several dozen adults, for 8+ hours a day? He stayed mostly because he couldn’t find a job anywhere else, and because he needed to be out of the house, or he’d go crazy. At least his job wasn’t  _ dangerous,  _ the worst thing he’d ever had to deal with was vulgar graffiti in the downstairs boys bathroom.

 

So obviously, he wasn’t expecting to find one of the students having a panic attack in the  _ locked  _ kitchens. He’d been coming in to empty the trash cans and clean the stoves, barely paying attention as he entered through the side door. He was halfway to the exit with the trash can before he realized he wasn’t alone. Huddled under the sinks was a small, tanned student with strange, lightning-patterned  ~~ (scars?) ~~ tattoos covering their arms. Their dark hair covered their face, making it impossible to determine who they were.

 

He approached cautiously, frowning. “Hey, kid? What’re you doin’ in here?” he asked. The kid stiffened, head shooting up and banging against the sink. They swore in some foreign language, rubbing their head and watching him warily. “Aren’t you supposed to be in class?” he asked.

 

“..........Teacher sent me out,” they muttered, voice hoarse. Raymond frowned, drumming his fingers against the lip of the trash can.

 

“I’m sure the teacher didn’t send you to the kitchens,” he said, attempting a smile. The kid tensed further, paling a bit. “How’d you get in? The door’s locked,” Raymond added, frowning.

 

“..........Dunno. Don’t remember,” the kid said shortly. Raymond sighed, sensing this line of questioning wasn’t going anywhere. He shifted positions, wincing slightly as his joints creaked.

 

“Alright. Can you tell me your name at least? I wanna get you back to class,” he said. The kid narrowed their eyes, but nodded.

 

“Danny Fenton. ‘M in Ms. Spoon’s fifth period....” he said reluctantly, still not uncurling from the ball he was in. Raymond nodded, scratching the back of his head.

 

“Bell’s already rung. Who’s your sixth?” he asked. Danny bit his lip, shaking his head.

 

“Free period. Sorry.....” he muttered. Raymond nodded, rubbing at his chest. Felt like there was an elephant sitting on it....

 

“That’s alright. Just.....get outta the kitchens, aight? I saw you havin’ some kinda breakdown, so I won’t get on ya about skipping, but you really ain’t supposed to be in here.” He waited until Danny got up, retrieved a small bundle of cloth from a far corner, and left, before resuming his trek to the dumpster out back. “Weird kid....”

 

\--

 

Danny couldn’t believe how easy he’d gotten off. He was lucky that the janitor didn’t seem to care much about whatever he was doing, otherwise he’d be in a lot more trouble. He slipped out of the kitchens, pressing himself against the wall and emptying the pockets of his hoodie before balling it up. He’d rather deal with questions about the scars than the stains. He’d pick it up later, but right now, he wanted nothing to do with it.

 

He hung a left down the 1400 hallway, not stopping until he reached his locker. He wrestled with the lock with shaking hands, having to stop and take a deep breath to calm down before he accidentally ripped the door completely off the wall. Once he was calmer, he tried again, this time clicking the lock open on the first try. He swung the door open, pushing aside a half-empty water bottle and three notebooks, shoving his stained hoodie inside. He’d have to do his own laundry tonight, he didn’t want his mom recognizing the stains and asking awkward questions.

 

That done, he sighed and pulled out the lunch he’d packed that morning, during a bout of uncharacteristic optimism. “Finally get to eat, I guess....” he muttered, closing the door gently and heading back to the cafeteria. On the way, he bumped into what felt like a brick wall, stumbling back and rubbing his nose. “Ow! What the hell?!” he snapped, looking up. Looming over him was Kevin Rodney, the new quarterback that had replaced Dash, after he had been hospitalized.

 

“Hey, watch where you’re going,  _ runt,”  _ he sneered, glaring down at Danny. He rolled his eyes, not in the mood. Danny tried to dodge around him, but was blocked by an arm in his face. He stared up at Kevin with an unimpressed look, eyes devoid of any emotion. “Nuh-uh! You ain’t goin’ nowhere, until you  _ apologize,  _ punk,” Kevin spat, sneering. Danny rolled his eyes, shifting his weight and crossing his arms, bag dangling from his wrist.

 

“The last guy that tried to pick a fight with me, I sent to the hospital with three broken ribs and a snapped collarbone. Tread carefully,” he said flatly. Kevin looked a bit paler, but swallowed, steeling his nerves.

 

“Y-You’re lying. You couldn’t break a  _ twig,  _ let alone a  _ bone.  _ I ain’t scared of you,” he scoffed. Danny smiled, though there wasn’t any humor or joy in it. The air around them cooled significantly, causing Kevin to shiver and rub his arms. The lights flickered, and the very atmosphere seemed to get heavier.

 

“You sure you wanna risk it,  _ Kevin?  _ What if I am lying? You’d be the hero who took out the juvie punk. But....” His smirk grew wider, one of his fangs peeking out behind his upper lip. Kevin’s eyes grew wide, and he took a step back. Danny stepped forward, closing the distance between them. “What if I’m  _ not  _ lying?” He chuckled, tilting his head. “Haven’t you ever wondered what happened to Dash Baxter? Why the star player suddenly quit football altogether?” Kevin backed up further, nearly tripping over his own feet. Danny laughed darkly, patting Kevin on the shoulder as he passed. “Have a good afternoon, Kevin.....”

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> danny no
> 
> picture at the end drawn by Bellkat!!!


	31. Chapter 31: Justice Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter kicked my ASS, sorry for the long delay!!

So it turns out, “threatening” one of the other students was something that could get him sent to the principal. He wasn’t sure who Kevin had told, or even what exactly he’d  _ said,  _ but whatever it was was enough to have one of the teachers interrupt him mid-sandwich to send him to Ishiyama’s office. He still hadn’t gone back after being sent there by Ms. Spoon, and his subsequent escape, but he didn’t doubt Ishiyama had heard already.

 

So, he was back here again, stomach cramping uncomfortably and a half-eaten bag of Cheerios in his hand while he waited for Ishiyama to open the door. He’d knocked, but there was no answer, so he was currently trying to eat as much as he could before he was sent in again. The hunger had only gotten worse, his stomach burning as it felt like it was trying to chew through his backbone. He still hadn’t heard anything from Phantom, but a faint pressure in the back of his mind had him wondering if the ghost was sleeping.

 

Wait.

 

_ Can  _ ghosts sleep?

 

He stared at the Cheerios in his hand, eyes wide as he contemplated this new question. Sure, he’d slept a lot when he was in juvie, but then again, when you’re not eating, there’s not a whole lot you  _ can  _ do to pass the time. But, that still didn’t answer the question. Did.....Did  _ Phantom  _ sleep? Is he asleep right now? Was he asleep at all that entire year? Does he just go into the same haze Danny does?

 

He had to abandon the existential crisis he was slowly spiraling into when Ishiyama’s door suddenly opened, scaring the crap out of him and making Cheerios go everywhere. He stared at the cereal on the floor, then looked up at Ishiyama. “......Oops?” he said weakly, trying for a smile. She rolled her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose.

 

“Just get in here, Mr. Fenton. Someone will clean that up later.” He nodded, scrambling to his feet and shoving the empty bag back into his lunchbag. “In the future, might I suggest  _ not  _ eating in the main office?” she said dryly. He blushed slightly, nodding. He followed her inside, sitting in the chair across from her desk. She sat behind the desk, folding her hands and staring at him. He squirmed slightly, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

 

“U-Um.....Ms. Ishi-” he started, only to be cut off.

 

“You’ve been back for a week. A  _ week,  _ Mr. Fenton, and you’ve already been sent to my office twice. In  _ one day.  _ Once for smoking in class, once for threatening another student.” He opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a hand. “I know you aren’t stupid enough to smoke in class, but the fact remains that Ms. Spoon  _ saw  _ smoke coming from your mouth. Care to explain that one?” she asked.

 

“I....really have no idea what happened. I was paying attention, doing my work, and next thing I know she’s shouting at me to go to the principal’s office,” he explained. She narrowed her eyes at him, but nodded finally.

 

“Alright. And the threatening? Mr. Rodney told Mr. Kimberley that you threatened him earlier today when you passed in the hallway.” Danny bit his lip, fiddling with the thin leather bracelet on his wrist.

 

“I....guess if you looked at it a certain way, I did threaten him. He was getting in my face, so I told him to back off, and tried to leave to the cafeteria so I could eat my food. He said he wouldn’t let me leave until I apologized, so I just told him what happened to the last person to try and bully me. He called me a liar, I asked if he wanted to test that theory, and then I left. I never touched him,” he explained. She nodded again, folding her hands on her desk.

 

“I’m going to be honest with you, Mr. Fenton. Since you did, in fact, threaten another student, you’ll have detention this afternoon. However, since you never touched him, and since Mr. Rodney isn’t hurt, I won’t call your parents. In exchange, can you  _ please _ try and  _ ignore _ people when they try and pick fights?” she said. He clenched his fists, a sudden surge of anger rushing through him, but still, he nodded. She smiled tiredly, brushing her hair back behind her ear. “Thank you. Now, the bell’s about to ring again, so I’ll write you a pass for your seventh period teacher. I don’t want to see you at all next week, got it?” she asked, reaching for a pad of hall passes.

 

“Alright, Ms. Ishiyama. I’ll.....I’ll do my best.”

 

\--

 

His detention was with Ms. Spoon, because of course it was. The universe seemed to hate him, after all. She kept watching him with an evil eye, glaring when she thought he wasn’t looking. She was the kind of teacher that tolerated no talking, no headphones, no electronics, etcetera. Homework and  _ only _ homework, and she’d check periodically to make sure it was  _ actually  _ classwork.

 

In other words, it was an hour in hell with the devil herself.

 

Danny felt himself nodding off about twenty minutes in, stomach complaining quietly as he mused on his abandoned lunch. He could still smell his kalbi, even through the tupperware, and though it was stale and cold by now, he still wanted it. He frowned, glaring back at Ms. Spoon when he felt her eyes on him again.

 

This was gonna be a _ long _ afternoon.

 

\--

 

To top off his  _ really bad day,  _ he’d missed the bus home. He ended up having to walk a good seven miles, getting home well after it had gotten dark. His parents, surprisingly, weren’t in the living room when he got back. Faintly, he could hear mechanical whirring from beneath the floorboards. They must be in the lab then. The alarm didn’t go off, but he noticed the camera in the corner and scowled, quickly heading for the stairs. It wasn’t like he did anything wrong. It’s not his fault he got home late.

 

He was starting to regret only barely doing his homework in detention, as his bed was practically calling his name, but still, he sat at his desk and pulled his books out. Better to do it now rather than risk another detention. He started with science, as he found it a hell of a lot easier than Geometry. Triangles were the bane of his existence.

 

He was halfway through the worksheet when he finally felt a familiar stirring in his chest. “Finally decided to wake up, did you?” he muttered, lips barely moving as he continued to mark down the proper completions for the sequences of DNA on his sheet. No answer, but a sharp stab of cold flared up in his chest. He rolled his eyes, hissing and rubbing at it. “You coulda just said no,” he grumbled, scowling.

 

_ “Shut up, Other. Food woman gave me bad feeling in my core....Too much hatred, too tough and stringy....”  _ Phantom grumbled, voice harsher than usual. Which was saying something, since he spoke only in hissing and sharp cacophony. Danny winced, subconsciously licking his teeth again.

 

“Yeah, um......why’d you have to eat her?” he asked. “Mom and Dad said something about ghosts needing to get their energy from somewhere, but they also said that they usually got it from the ambient energies in the Ghost Zone, which by the way I’m still not sure is a real place. But anyway, that means you wouldn’t  _ need  _ to eat other ghosts, right? So then, why did you?” he rambled.

 

Phantom growled warningly, another cold spike flaring up.  _ “Too many questions. I don’t know answers. Emotions are good, that’s what I eat usually. Not from you, that’s counterproductive. But when there’s no emotion, I like the ambrosia. Negative energy is what I feed on, and negativity comes from people. Humans. You going to learning house is more than enough for me, but.......I cannot resist, when ghosts make it so  _ **_easy.”_ ** He laughed, a chill curling around Danny’s shoulders, reminding him he’d left his hoodie in his locker.  _ “Food woman made me mad, so  _ **_she_ ** _ became menu.” _

 

Danny scowled, shivering harder. The lead of his pencil snapped from how hard he was pressing, sounding like a gunshot to his sensitive ears. He flinched, nearly falling out of his chair. “F-Fine. Just......don’t disappear like that again, okay? I.....I don’t like how empty I felt,” he admitted, hating how much he’d gotten used to Phantom’s power simmering just under his skin over the past year. It felt like a part of him was cut out, and that disgusted him.

 

Phantom was a ghost. A monster. He shouldn’t  _ want  _ him to keep haunting him. And yet, here he was, possessed as all get-out and not giving a single flying fuck about it. His parents could find out at any minute and “exorcise” him, or capture him for their studies. There were ghosts around town that were trying to fuck shit up for everyone, and he was being watched like a hawk by the adults he used to trust.

 

And still, he felt  _ comforted  _ when Phantom promised not to leave him. He felt safer, like nothing could touch him with the ghost on his side. Maybe all he really needed was a friend, someone who wasn’t trying to boss him around or dropped him the second something terrible happened.

 

No. Rewind. It’s not Tucker’s fault. He’d always been skittish, and while his meds helped, he couldn’t help the things he was scared of. Hospitals, death, spiders......Danny. Well. He wouldn’t force Tuck to be around him if he was too scared. He’d come to him on his own time, if they truly did have the same lunch like Sam had said.

 

~~ Inside, he knew he was lying to himself. Tucker wasn’t coming back. Not now, not for a while. All he could do was hope he’d come around eventually. ~~


	32. Chapter 32: Justice Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter dedicated to my friend lily who offered to fight my writer's block behind an arby's in exchange for a cute fluffy chapter

The next day was Saturday, also known lately as “Awkward Family Bonding Day™”. Today though, it seemed they weren’t leaving, or bonding at all. His parents were still down in the lab, and he suspected they’d never actually come up the night before. Jazz was in her room, still sleeping, and Danny was pretty much alone. Unwilling to hang around an empty, silent house for hours waiting for someone to come hang out with him, he instead decided to go out. He grabbed an empty backpack after some hesitation, shoving the gas mask inside, along with a sketchbook, two pencils, and a water bottle. He slung it over his shoulder, writing a quick note for anyone who came looking for him, and headed out to the park.

 

He was determined to be in a good mood today, refusing to think about Wes, or Tucker, or school, or anything at all that could possibly ruin his day. It was a nice day, too. Warm, but not sweltering, with the lingering smell of flowers and sunshine left over from when summer was still in full swing. There weren’t many people on the sidewalk, but he could hear splashing and shouts from the tiny outdoor pool by his house. Sighing in relief, he figured the park would be mostly empty, people preferring to spend the last few warm days swimming instead of on hot asphalt.

 

He made the turn into the park, making a beeline for a large tree near the entrance. He looked around, making sure the few exhausted mothers and smoking teenagers weren’t watching, before quickly scaling the tree. The bark under his hands was rough, peeling in places, and scarred with knots and dents, making for excellent handholds. He kept climbing until he reached a sturdy branch parallel to the trunk, about 15 feet off the ground.

 

He sat down, gripping the branch with his thighs and pulled his backpack off, scooting and situating himself until he was leaning back against the trunk, one leg propped up on the branch with the other dangling below. He pulled out his sketchbook and a pencil, zipping the bag up and hanging it off a short, thick branch just above his head. He smiled slightly when he felt the cold, curious touch of Phantom, getting the impression that the other was leaning over his shoulder, peering at the book curiously. “Did you want to watch me draw?” he asked, amused. The cold receded a bit, hovering just at the edge of his senses, before it came back.

 

_ “Draw?”  _ Phantom asked curiously.  _ “What is draw?”  _ Danny chuckled, opening the sketchbook to show Phantom some of his more recent doodles.

 

“Art. I draw stuff I see in video games or books, but sometimes I just draw whatever comes to mind. Here, look.” He turned to a blank page, quickly drawing a base for a human body. Lightly, he drew the guidelines for the face, sketching out a pair of empty eyes and a wide, hungry grin. The cold spiked, and Phantom gasped. Danny chuckled, adding hair and erasing the overlapping line from the head. He added little lines branching out over the face and neck, before signing it and showing the finished sketch to Phantom.

 

_ “It’s me!”  _ he said, sounding like a kid in a candy store. Danny laughed, smiling.

 

“Yeah, it’s you!” he agreed, turning to a new page. “What should I draw next?” he asked. Phantom hummed, thinking.

 

_ “How about your sister? Maybe seeing a picture of her happy would make her happy again. She’s so sad and empty lately, it’s not fun.”  _ Danny blinked, frowning slightly at the implication that Phantom “fed” off of Jazz.

 

“Wait, you mean you can sense what she’s feeling?” he asked. Phantom huffed, cold static tickling the hairs on the back of Danny’s neck.

 

_ “It’s more like I  _ **_can’t_ ** _ sense what she’s feeling. There’s nothing, she’s just.....empty. Like dust. Humans aren’t supposed to taste dusty, so you need to make her happy again so she stops being dusty,”  _ he explained. Explained  _ badly,  _ but it was still an explanation. Danny sighed, looking down at his sketchbook.

 

“You have a point. I’m not sure I like you  _ eating _ her  _ emotions, _ but....yeah, okay. It couldn’t hurt, right?” he asked rhetorically, before starting on a portrait of Jazz.

 

They sat in silence for a while, Phantom coming and going intermittently. It was nice, just relaxing for once. Danny was finished with the portrait, and was instead dozing quietly in the tree. At some point, he drifted into a deeper sleep, only waking up when something dripped on his face. He wrinkled his nose, opening his eyes drowsily and looking around.

 

It had started drizzling, not enough to be a  _ storm,  _ but enough that he wanted to get in out of the wetness. He sighed, packing his stuff up quickly and pulling his bag back on. Phantom, seemingly sensing him moving, snapped back to his side. The sudden temperature drop made Danny startle, losing his grip on the damp branch.

 

He felt himself falling as if it was slow motion. Logically, he knew the fall wouldn’t kill him. It was only fifteen feet, barely enough to break his arm. He’d be fine, just bruised. Except, Phantom didn’t know that. So instead of being able to brace for impact, he was battling for control of his body, hitting nearly every branch on the way down.

 

_ “Stay STILL, Other!”  _ Phantom snarled, seizing control forcibly. He almost switched into his own form, but stopped at the last second, instead curling up and letting intangibility take him. They passed through the branches like they were made of mist, flickering back into tangibility and landing with a soft thump on the soft, muddy ground. Phantom sighed, sitting up and letting go. Danny gasped for breath, glaring over his shoulder.

 

“Don’t  _ do  _ that!” he snapped, eyes flashing. Phantom scoffed, but was unapologetic.

 

_ “You would’ve been hurt!”  _ he snarled, trying to justify himself. Danny grit his teeth, standing up and brushing his shirt off.

 

“I would’ve gotten a  _ bruise!  _ That’s it!” he hissed, beating dust and mud off his backpack and slipping it on again. He was about to keep yelling at Phantom, when he was interrupted by a familiar puff of smoke. “Oh no....”

 

“Hey kid, could you help me out? I think I’m lost.....Me and my boyfriend were supposed to meet up, but I can’t find him....” A dark skinned girl with neon green dreads was standing in front of him, luckily seeming not to have heard him. He blinked, waving away the smoke.

 

“Uh, yeah, sure. Where were you trying to go?” he asked. She sighed, scratching her head. Phantom growled quietly, shifting uneasily.

 

“I can’t quite remember.....some restaurant I think? The Nasty something,” she said.

 

“The Nasty Burger? Alright, I know where that is. It’s Saturday, so it’ll be on 6th and Main, on the corner,” he said, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets. Her face lit up, and she smiled widely, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

 

“Great, thanks kid! Oh, what’s your name, by the way?” she asked.

 

“I’m Danny. What’s your name?” he asked.

 

“I’m Kitty. Hope we can talk again sometime!” she said, before waving and walking off. He watched her go, but she seemed to disappear the second she got outside the gate. He frowned, rubbing his arms.

 

Oddly enough, she’d given him the same uneasy feeling he had around Dr. Spectra, that first week. “There was definitely something off about that girl....” he muttered, starting his own trek home. Surely, someone  _ had  _ to be wondering where he was by now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys quick important note. forewarning: i'm not pissed, i'm just a bit salty, that's all.
> 
> i love getting comments on my fics. it makes me happy, because someone took the time to tell me what they thought, even if it's just "*generic keysmash* danny no". but lately, it's starting to feel like a lot of the comments are telling me how to write the characters. and i just wanted to say, this is an au. not only that, but it's an au with _season 1_ characterization. you remember season 1? yeah. they don't have the same strong bond they did in canon, because they didn't go through the same things as canon.
> 
> so, tl;dr: this is an au. don't worry, i know what i'm doing. please stop expecting canon characterization, because it's not happening.
> 
> hope y'all have a nice day.


	33. Chapter 33: Justice Arc (END)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's like 700 words of food porn in here i'm so sorry i'm really hungry

Turns out, nobody was. Jazz hadn’t come downstairs yet, and he had a sinking suspicion that she hadn’t come out of her room at all, except when her bladder forced her out. His parents weren’t upstairs yet, and he frowned. Maybe they’d passed out in the lab again?

 

He opened the door carefully, slowly enough the hinges didn’t creak. Peering downstairs, he could see the silhouettes of his parents, slumped over a lab table with glowing green beakers littered across it. He rolled his eyes, stepping back and leaving the door hanging open. He couldn’t just leave them there, and his parents were notoriously deep sleepers, especially after a breakthrough.

 

He slipped upstairs, opening the door to their room and pushing the covers down before going back downstairs, this time descending the steps on light feet. He picked up his mom first, idly wondering if he was really that strong, or if she was really _that_ light. He shook his head, resolving to think about it later, and carried her upstairs. He deposited her carefully on the bed, going back downstairs and frowning at the hulking form of his dad. He sighed, cracking his knuckles and shaking his head. “If I can punch through a concrete wall, I can pick Dad up....” he muttered to himself, scooping his dad up with only a tiny grunt of exertion. He felt his dad’s weight more than his mom’s, and it was a bit harder to carry him up, but he managed it.

 

He tucked them in under the blankets, shaking his head and leaving the room, closing the door quietly behind him. “How the tables have turned...” he muttered, biting his lip and crossing the hall to Jazz’s room. Better check that she was still alive.

 

He opened the door slowly, blinking when he noticed her huddled on her side, facing the wall. She was still wearing the same oversized grey hoodie and sweats that seemed to have become her norm over the past few months, and her hair was a limp, greasy mess. Her breathing was still pretty regular though, so she wasn’t sleeping. Just....staring at the wall.

 

“Hey, Jazz,” Danny said, loud enough to be heard, just not loud enough to bother her if she really was sleeping. She shifted a bit, enough to show she was listening. “I’m gonna make some food, you want some?” he asked. She shrugged loosely, curling up a bit tighter. “You should probably shower, you know......” he added. No response. He sighed. “Alright, I’ll leave you alone. I’ll be back in a bit with a plate, alright?” He was about to close the door, but stopped. “Please.....try and eat something today? You haven’t been taking care of yourself lately, and.....I’m worried, Jazz......” No response.

 

He shook his head, closing the door all the way and going back downstairs to hunt through the fridge. He pushed aside the mutated hot dogs, shoving them back into their drawer and resealing the lock on it. He found a carton of non-contaminated eggs, along with a half-empty jar of kimchi and a ziploc baggie full of leeks. He reached further towards the back, grabbing an old sample of ectoplasm before standing back up and closing the fridge. He pulled out two bags of rice from the freezer, setting all his loot on the counter.

 

He opened the egg carton, filling a deep tupperware container with water and sticking the eggs in it one by one. He set aside the floaters, putting the ones that sank back in the carton, before opening the fridge again. He fed the rotten eggs to the hot dogs, locking the drawer again and returning to the counter.

 

“Alright, what can I make with this...” he muttered, frowning. “Something filling, but light.” Then, a lightbulb went off. He pulled out a skillet, a spatula, and the spray-on cooking oil, setting the skillet on the stove and turning it on. He let it heat up, sticking the rice bags in the microwave and setting it for five minutes. While that was defrosting, he cracked the good eggs into a bowl, grabbing some chopsticks and whisking them carefully, until they were all frothy.

 

He sprayed the pan with the cooking spray, pouring in the eggs after, still whisking. They sizzled as they hit the pan, immediately filling the kitchen with the scent of egg. He set the bowl down, scrambling the eggs with the spatula. The microwave beeped when he was halfway through, and he growled slightly, setting the pan on an unused burner. He grabbed the rice out of the microwave, juggling the hot bags and dropping them on the counter, before hunting through the freezer for some mixed vegetables. He found some hiding in the back, behind a forgotten bag of dumplings, and pulled them out.

 

He rinsed the egg bowl, setting it aside and putting the pan back on the burner, finishing the scrambling. He scraped it all into the newly washed bowl, reapplying the oil and adding the rice and vegetables to the pan.he kept stirring until the vegetables were cooked through, adding the egg in on top and mixing it all together. When he was satisfied, he turned the burner off, pulling out two bowls and setting them on the counter. He divided the fried rice into the bowls, pulling out a tupperware for the leftovers. He put away the leftovers and wiped down the counters, grabbing the ectoplasm sample on the way back from the trash can. He dumped it over one of the rice bowls, hoping he could explain away the glowing as bad ingredients. Jazz probably wouldn’t care anyway.

 

He grabbed a large serving tray and set the non-glowing bowl on it, putting a fork and a glass of water on the tray as well before bringing it upstairs. He knocked on Jazz’s door, balancing the tray on one hand and opening it carefully. She’d rolled over to face the door, but otherwise hadn’t moved. “I brought food, fried rice. Your favorite. It’s not contaminated, I promise!” he said, trying to be cheerful. She turned her face away, but her stomach growled as he came closer. “Ha! I knew you were hungry! Come on, eat before it gets cold! You don’t even have to eat all of it, just some of it, okay?” he asked. She nodded slowly, sitting up and managing a small, tired smile in his direction. He set the tray on her lap, putting the glass of water on her bedside table. She pressed her hand to her lips in what he’d learned was the sign for ‘thank you,’ and he smiled slightly. “You’re welcome, Jazz. I’ll be downstairs if you need me, okay?” She nodded, and he took that as his cue to leave, closing the door behind him. He went back downstairs, setting his bowl of rice, the bag of leeks, another fork, and a bowl of the kimchi on the table in the living room.

 

With everyone asleep, he could finally watch TV again. He clicked it on, settling back and starting to channel surf.

 

_“-for only three easy payments of $19.99!-”_

 

_“-nimal crackers in my soup-”_

 

_“-kes our patio 20 degrees cooler!-”_

 

_"-800-EMPIRE!-”_

 

_“-ce Thunder here, reporting live from the Nasty Bur-”_

 

_“-Pals, ZooPals!”_

 

He paused, clicking back to the news, stopping mid-bite. “What was that?” he muttered, taking the bite and setting his bowl down.

 

_“-eenagers robbed the restaurant at gunpoint earlier this afternoon. Apparently, after these two had finished their meal, the male then pulled a gun on the cashier and demanded his money back._

 

_“‘I’ve never been so scared! He said.....He said something about it not being as Nasty as he remembered?”_

 

_“On-screen are the names and pictures of these teens. If you have any information, please call the hotline, or 911, as soon as possible.”_

 

On screen flashed two pictures, side by side. One was a pale, blond teenage boy with a shaggy haircut and deep bags under his eyes, and the other.....

 

The other was Kitty. Danny clenched his fists, eyes flashing as anger roiled low in his belly. “She used me....” he seethed. Then, his eyes widened in realization. “That smoke.....it happened when the Lunch Lady was near too, right? And if _she_ was a ghost......” He muted the TV, too caught up in his realization. “Kitty was a ghost. Dr. Spectra was a ghost. They’re all _ghosts.”_

 

He stood up, cracking his knuckles absently and starting to pace. “Wait, no. Kitty and Dr. Spectra were too solid to be ghosts. Then.....possession? That has to be it.” He nodded once, sharply, tapping his fingers on his arm. “But Mom and Dad always said that ghosts only possess the bad people, right? Then......but....no, Dr. Spectra wasn’t bad, she helped me!” He sighed, gritting his teeth and shaking his head. “No. She must’ve been eating my emotions, just like Phantom does. All she did was encourage me to feel negative feelings! And Kitty?! She just robbed the Nasty Burger!” He stopped, eyes wide. “If Kitty’s a ghost, then her boyfriend is a ghost too.” He clenched his fists so hard it drew blood, teeth grinding together. “Nobody but me knows it, huh?” he muttered, running his hands through his hair. He paused in his pacing, eyes glinting. “I’ll just have to take care of it myself then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's a wrap for this arc! one more, and we're done! just a reminder, the next arc is called _MONSTER|KILLER_ so be prepared for that
> 
> also all the lines except for the lance thunder one when danny is channel surfing are all from infomercials i remember from my childhood, circa 2008-10
> 
> cause that's when this is set, 2010-ish, because i was like 3 in 2004 fight me


	34. Chapter 34: MONSTER | KILLER Arc

After his realization hit, Danny was ready to just go out immediately and take care of Kitty and her boyfriend (Johnny?) himself, but his aching stomach forced him to reconsider. He hadn’t eaten in days, and with the return to school plus the Lunch Lady incident, Phantom had been fuller than ever, so Danny was finally free to feel his own hunger.

 

Reluctantly, he sat back down, snarfing down the rice in record time, following with the leeks. He coughed slightly as the garlic temporarily overwhelmed him, shaking his head and gulping some water. He wanted to get done eating as fast as possible, so he could catch them before they skipped town. He finished his kimchi quickly, carrying everything to the sink and running water over it, leaving it to soak. He turned the TV off, carefully putting the remote back exactly where he’d found it, and headed for the front door.

 

He put on his shoes, scooped up his backpack, and debated leaving a note, but shook his head. Jazz probably didn’t care if he left, and his parents were still out for the count. He pulled the backpack on, heading outside and closing the door carefully behind him, locking the handle first. He headed straight for the Nasty Burger area, trusting the weird smokey sixth-sense bullshit to lead the way.

 

He scratched his arm, still fuming quietly. “Fucking bitch.....she was probably planning that the entire time....” he grumbled under his breath. The anger swelled in his chest, clawing at his insides and leaving his heart numb. He’d thought she was okay. He’d thought that maybe he could give her a chance, like he’d tried to give the Lunch Lady a chance.

 

No. He should’ve seen it from the beginning. His nails dug harder into his arm, leaving welts and deep furrows that healed almost as soon as they happened. He turned at the corner, the smoke coming back, thicker and stronger this time. He followed it to the abandoned train station, gritting his teeth.

 

Even just standing at the mouth, he could hear laughter and smell the stench of burned rubber and engine smoke. He easily picked out Kitty’s voice, along with another, unfamiliar, deeper voice.

 

“Babe, that was so cool! How’d you remember how to find the Nasty, after all these years?” the male, presumably Johnny asked.

 

“Ha! It was easy, I just got some fleshie to give me directions! I told him I was meeting you there, but I couldn’t remember the address, and the stupid kid fell for it!” Kitty laughed. Danny progressed further into the tunnel, footsteps silent. He focused his energy on the cold spot in his chest, sticking his hand through the outside of his bag and pulling out the gas mask. He strapped it on, still being careful to be silent.

 

“Wow, the humans just keep getting dumber, huh?” Johnny said dryly, snorting.

 

“There was a pretty big cloud of smoke around him though, he might’ve been high as fuck and just  _ really good  _ at hiding it,” Kitty pointed out. Johnny made a noncommittal noise, but didn’t reply. Danny crept around the corner, hands clenched into tight fists.

 

_ “What are you doing, My Other?”  _ Phantom asked, the sudden noise making Danny startle and kick a rock. It went skittering down the tunnel, the noise echoing off the concrete walls. Danny glared over his shoulder, but stopped when he realized Phantom couldn’t see through the mask.

 

“What was that?!” Kitty asked, voice hushed.

 

“I dunno, but I’m gonna go check it out. Probably just a rat, you wait here babe,” Johnny said. Danny heard him shifting, then footsteps, the loud, clumpy kind only achieved with heavy boots. He flattened himself against the wall, watching the bend for Johnny.

 

He came around quickly enough, head swiveling and eyes squinting in the darkness. His face was bathed in an eerie glow, the source of which seemed to be his eyes. Danny scowled, barely keeping his own eyes from flashing. Johnny was  _ definitely  _ overshadowed. As soon as Johnny passed him, Danny launched himself forward, jumping up onto the taller teen’s back and securing an arm around his neck. “Don’t move, or I’ll crush your throat,” he growled warningly, directly in Johnny’s ear.

 

Johnny stiffened, fists tightening, like he wanted nothing more than to yank Danny off his back. But still, he listened. “Who are you?” he growled instead, staring straight ahead. Danny smirked mirthlessly, digging his heels into Johnny’s ribs, probably bruising them.

 

“If I told you that, I’d have to kill you. Or rather, the body. After all, you’re already dead, aren’t you, Johnny?” he asked, with the mocking air of someone who already knew the answer to his own question. Johnny, if possible, stiffened further, shoulders so tense they may as well have been made out of wood.

 

“What the hell are you talkin’ about?” he snarled, the tremor in his voice giving away his confusion and fear.

 

Danny scoffed, digging his heels in harder. “Oh come on, it’s not that hard to figure out, not if you know what to look for. The eyes are a dead giveaway, you know?” he asked rhetorically. Johnny growled, literally  _ growled,  _ and the shadows around them seemed to get darker.

 

“So you’re a little medium brat,” he snarled, over now so low and gruff it sounded almost inhuman. Danny shrugged, not telling him definitively if he was or wasn’t, since he had no idea what a medium was. “What do you want from me?” he snapped.

 

“I want you out of this body,” Danny said simply. “And I’m gonna get you out of it, by any means necessary. After all, if you don’t know who to blame, there’s no way anyone can come after  _ me!  _ I’m just cleaning up this town’s little...... _ spirit problem,”  _ he said, hissing the last part. 

 

Johnny seemed to have heard enough. He reached behind him, tearing Danny off his back and flinging him away, wincing and rubbing his throat where Danny’s arm had dug into it none to gently. “Tough luck, shitstick. I  _ like  _ this body, and I’m finally out of that fucking spirit plane. No way in  _ hell  _ am I goin’ back, not because some fuckin’ medium told me to!” he snarled, stance shifting into something a bit more combat-ready.

 

Danny picked himself up off the floor, wincing and rubbing his arm. He’d smacked his shoulder pretty hard on the wall, nearly popping his shoulder out of the socket. He rolled his shoulder, cracked his neck, and stalked forward, a murderous glare on his face. “You don’t give me a choice then,” he said flatly, eyes flashing finally as his control snapped. He felt the cold in his chest intensify, power flaring up in his core, causing his scars to glow green in the darkness of the tunnel. Johnny’s eyes widened, and he stumbled back slightly, cursing. Green lightning crackled at the tips of Danny’s fingers, and his form flickered between his own, and Phantom’s.

 

“Holy  _ shit!  _ You ain’t no medium, you’re a fuckin’  _ halfa!”  _ Johnny yelped, glaring. Danny frowned, pausing.

 

“What the  _ fuck  _ is a halfa?” he asked, confused. Johnny sneered, regaining his balance. His shadow reared up behind him, seemingly taking on a form of its own.

 

“An abomination, that’s what,” he snapped. Danny glared, baring his teeth as the lighting flared brighter. Then, footsteps sounded from the end of the tunnel.

 

“Johnny? Love, what’s taking so long? Are you okay?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:3c


	35. Chapter 35: MONSTER | KILLER Arc

Danny and Johnny both stopped, neither daring to breathe. Kitty came around the corner, her eyes glowing as well, a worried expression on her face. It quickly twisted into confusion and rage when she saw Danny, stopping in her tracks. “Who’re you?! Why are you here?!” she snapped, on the defensive.

 

Danny was confused as to how she hadn’t recognized him, when he remembered the mask. He grinned viciously, flexing his fingers. “I’m the one who’s here to get you both to leave.” Johnny shifted, standing slightly in front of Kitty, as if to protect her. Danny scowled, the cold spot in his chest sinking as his rage grew. Still, he resisted Phantom’s attempts to take control. He didn’t trust the other not to eat the humans too, and if they could be rehabilitated, he wanted to take the chance.

 

“Leave? What’re you talking about?” she asked, stepping forward a bit. Johnny was watching him warily, teeth bared.

 

“Babe, he wants to send us back to the Zone,” Johnny said, not taking his eyes off Danny. Kitty gasped, glaring at him.

 

“What, so he’s a medium?” she asked. “It’s chill, right? We’ve dealt with upstart mediums before, right?” Johnny shook his head.

 

“He’s not a medium. He’s a  _ halfa,”  _ he spat. The reaction was instantaneous. Kitty’s eyes flared brighter, and her hand twitched up to her mouth. The shadow behind Johnny grew larger, nearly covering both of them. Danny couldn’t let them disappear.

 

“I still don’t know what a halfa is, but if whatever it is has you two so pissed off, I’m all for it,” he spat, clenching his fists. “Phantom, don’t eat the bodies. The ghosts, though......they’re fair game,” he added, before finally relinquishing control. 

 

The familiar haze washed over him, the coldness spreading through his entire body, melting his hoodie away and replacing it with Phantom’s HAZMAT. The mask flashed out, replaced by Phantom’s leering face.  _ “He let me out!”  _ he gasped, laughing. He drifted off the floor, the lightning coming back stronger and brighter than before.  _ “C’mon, ground-bound. Let’s dance!”  _ he cackled, flinging the balls of lightning at Johnny and Kitty. They yelped, ducking as the shadow around them flew up, absorbing the light.

 

It screeched then, backing off, smaller now. Kitty glared, blowing a kiss at him that he quickly dodged. He didn’t know what it did, and he wasn’t about to find out. “Would you hold still?!” she snapped, flinging another shot off at him.

 

_ “It’s not my fault you’re stuck on the ground!”  _ Phantom fired back, swooping around and coming up behind them. Kitty snapped her fist back, catching him in the face. He yelped, tumbling back and clutching his nose, glaring at her.  _ “You’re just like the food lady.....”  _ he growled, eyes flaring brighter as his hair stood on end, electricity crackling around his body. He wiped away the leaking ectoplasm and let a punch of his own loose. It didn’t connect, only grazing the side of Kitty’s head, but it was enough to startle her.

 

“What the hell is your  _ problem,  _ halfa?! We didn’t do  _ shit  _ to you, all we wanna do is have fun! Back off!” Kitty snarled, eyes flashing. Phantom growled, swooping out of arm’s reach.

 

_ “It’s because my Other wants you gone. I could care less either way, I want fun too! But......he wants justice.”  _ Phantom shrugged, grinning sickly.  _ “I don’t really care, because he promised me I get to eat the difficult ghosts~!”  _ he sang, cackling. Both Kitty and Johnny turned green, looking ill at the mere suggestion. 

 

He rushed them again, but was cut off by a solid punch from Johnny, sending him spinning head over heels. Ectoplasm burst out of his newly broken nose, staining his HAZMAT. He growled, the electricity around him snapping loudly as his anger rose. He cracked his nose back into place, glaring at the both of them. The temperature in the tunnel dropped, lights flickering violently as his eyes flared menacingly. They huddled together, glaring up at him like cornered animals.  _ “You’re REALLY starting to make me MAD!”  _ he screeched, voice devolving into static. The lights burst one by one, showering the ground with busted glass and plunging the tunnel into darkness.

 

The only light came from Phantom’s harshly glowing eyes, suddenly closer than they had been. Johnny and Kitty stumbled back, huddling together. Phantom reached out, about to grab them......when the burning sparked in his abdomen again.

 

He doubled over, fading back, his form replaced by Danny’s. He cursed, wincing and clutching his stomach. It growled loudly, feeling like a beast clawing at his organs. He forced himself to his feet, ignoring his hunger and taking another swing at Johnny. He ducked, countering with a punch of his own, the shadow behind him growing again. Danny cursed as the rings on Johnny’s gloves cut his cheek, clutching the bleeding wound tightly and glaring. His mask only protected the front of his face, and Johnny had gotten in a lucky shot.

 

It wouldn’t happen again.

 

He launched himself at them, headbutting Johnny in the stomach and sending both him and Kitty sprawling. He grabbed the collar of Johnny’s jacket in one hand, throwing punches at his face, now that he had him pinned. Kitty knocked him over from the side, clawing and scratching at his exposed neck and arms.

 

“Get off!” he snarled, eyes flashing. He tried to kick her off, but with Johnny tangled up in his legs, it was fruitless. She sneered down at him, grabbing at his mask and glaring at him hatefully.

 

“Let’s see who you  _ really  _ are, halfa,” she spat, tearing it off of him. Her eyes widened in shock before she glared at him, teeth bared. “I should’ve known.....” she hissed.

 

“Babe? What’s up? Do you know him?” Johnny asked. She nodded, but didn’t take her eyes off Danny.

 

“Yeah. He’s the human I asked for directions from. Said his name’s Danny,” she said shortly. Danny growled, snatching the mask back and elbowing her in the stomach. She coughed, doubling over. He took the chance to bash her on the back of the head, wincing when he heard something crack. He feverently hoped that he hadn’t killed the human, but didn’t have time to think about it right then. Kitty wouldn’t stay unconscious forever.

 

Luckily for him, Johnny cared more about if Kitty was okay than he did about keeping Danny pinned. He scrambled to his feet, scooping her up and pulling her aside. “Kitty! Love, come on! You’re still okay, right?” he pleaded, voice desperate.

 

A soft glow formed in her chest, distracting Danny from getting up. The form of a woman floated out of Kitty, hovering by Johnny, placing her hand on his shoulder.  _ “Johnny, love....we can’t stay here. I gotta get a new body, this one’s too busted. She’s too beat up, I can’t hold on.”  _ Johnny glared at Danny, clutching the lifeless body close.

 

“Yeah, I getchya babe.....” He sneered, standing up and laying the body down gently. “This isn’t over, punk,” he said ominously, slipping what looked like a woman’s bracelet out of his beat up duster, pulling it on his bony wrist. Kitty shuddered, form wavering for just a second before returning, looking a bit more solid. “I’ll be back, and next time I see you?” He growled, eyes flashing. “I’ll kill you.”

 

With that, he left Danny alone, leaving the train tunnel with Kitty’s ghost in tow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> danny no


	36. Chapter 36: MONSTER | KILLER Arc

Once they were gone, Danny immediately scrambled over to the body, ignoring the way the broken glass from the lights dug into his knees. He checked her pulse, pressing his fingers clumsily to her neck. For one heart-stopping moment, he couldn't find anything. Finally, after  _ far  _ too long, he felt a weak pulse under his fingertips.

 

He let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding, instinctively patting his pockets down for his phone before cursing loudly. “Dammit! I forgot they took it!” he snarled. He growled to himself, trying to remember where the closest emergency room was. 

 

He picked her up carefully, wincing when she whimpered in pain. Guilt flooded through him before getting sucked away greedily by Phantom. At the moment, he was grateful. He didn’t have time to feel guilty, he had to get her to a hospital as soon as possible.

 

He sprinted down the road, holding her as still as he possibly could, trying not to aggravate her head wound. Belatedly, he realized he was still barely holding onto his mask, and that he should probably put it on. The last thing he needed was to go back to AYDC, especially since he  _ just  _ got out.

 

He scowled, slowing down a bit, stopping next to a bus bench. He carefully laid the woman down, turning her head to the side to try and keep the wound at least a  _ little  _ clean. He shoved the mask back into his backpack, tightened his tiny ponytail and wiped his knuckles free of blood on his jeans. Thankfully, they were black, so it wouldn’t show up as much. That taken care of, he picked the woman up and kept running.

 

He skidded into the emergency room lobby, panting like he’d just run a marathon, causing every head in the room to turn and stare at him incredulously. He ignored them—and the heat on his cheeks—and headed for an empty counter. “Hey, um....I found this lady in the old train tunnel? She’s got like a  _ massive  _ head wound, and I couldn’t really find a pulse....” he started.

 

The person at the desk stared at him, eyes wide. “You didn’t call 911?” she asked. Danny shook his head, irritated.

 

“I don’t have a phone right now. Look, you can ask me all the questions you want, once she’s taken care of,” he snapped. The receptionist frowned, but he wasn’t having it. “Look, she’s got the back of her fucking  _ skull  _ caved in!” he snarled, barely keeping his eyes from flashing. She nodded frantically, shouting for a doctor. The people in the waiting area gave him dirty looks, muttering about why  _ he  _ got special treatment. He scowled, trying not to let it get to him.

 

A few people in scrubs ran out of a back room, pushing along a gurney. They stopped next to him, and he quickly put her down on the bed, making sure to be careful about it. Blood had seeped into his shirt, probably irrevocably staining it bright red. He made a mental note to burn it, along with his ectoplasm-stained hoodie, as soon as possible. It sucked, because this was one of his favorite shirts.

 

He watched the gurney until it was out of sight, staring at the double doors until a small cough from behind him caught his attention. “Sir, if you could step aside? Someone will be with you in a minute to ask you for your contact information, in the case of any changes in her condition.” He stiffened, biting his lip.

 

“U-Um, that’s really not necessary. Like I said, I don’t have a phone, and I can’t get to a computer reliably. Just don’t worry about it, okay? I don’t know anything about her, either, so don’t bother asking,” he said, voice harsher than he’d meant. The receptionist swallowed, but didn’t back down.

 

“Sir, please, it’s just protocol. Any information you have is acceptable, even if it’s just your name,” she said, frowning sternly. He scoffed, turning on his heel. “If you leave, I’ll have to request security to come detain you,” she warned.

 

Danny peered over his shoulder at her, glaring harshly. “Try me,” he growled. With that, he was gone. Phantom whined about his feast being cut short, but Danny didn’t really care. Phantom got over it soon enough, instead curling around his shoulders like a freezing, insubstantial cloak, cooling his heated skin.

 

_ “My Other, are you alright? Did that woman upset you?”  _ he hissed, sounding like if Danny said yes, he’d go back right then and tear her apart.

 

“No, don’t worry about it. She made me mad, yeah, but she’s human. She didn’t know why I couldn’t stay,” he answered. “Don’t do anything to her, Phantom. She’s not like Kitty or Johnny. She doesn’t deserve it.” Phantom grumbled, hissing softly. 

 

_ “I only want the best for you, my Other. If that means I have to tear apart those who hurt you, I will. Even if they’re only human.” _

 

For some reason, one he didn’t want to examine right then (or ever, preferably), Danny felt a warm curl of  _ something  _ in his chest at that promise.

 

\--

 

He got home far too late to have even a  _ hope  _ of going unnoticed. Silently, he hoped that his parents were still sleeping, but luck, of course, wasn't on his side. As soon as he got inside, they were there waiting.

 

“Danny, where did you go? We woke up and you were gone! Not even a note!”

 

He rolled his eyes, heading for the stairs. He didn’t want to deal with this right then. Phantom was growling in his ear, and static was licking like liquid fire just under the skin of his palms. He clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms.

 

His mother spoke again. “Danny, where did you get those scars?! Why is your shirt covered in blood?!” This time she didn’t sound mad. She sounded......scared? What?

 

“.........it’s not my blood, don’t worry,” he said, glossing over the scars question. Belatedly, he realized that would make her  _ more  _ angry.

 

“Whose blood is it then?!” she snapped, anger creeping back into her voice. He turned to face her, crossing his arms defensively.

 

“I found this lady hurt in the old train station. Before you ask, yes, I  _ know  _ it’s dangerous in there. I’m fine, but she had this huge head wound, so I took her to the emergency room.” Maddie raised an eyebrow, and he sighed. “I know I don’t have a phone, I carried her. That’s why it took me so long to get back, she wasn’t exactly a feather,” he added.

 

“You promise you didn’t hurt her?” Maddie asked. Guilt flared up again before Phantom sucked it away.

 

“I promise,” he lied. Maddie nodded, exhaustion creeping over her features.

 

“Alright, Danny. I’m sorry I yelled at you, I just......I was worried.” She sighed, running a hand through her hair. To Danny’s surprise, it wasn’t covered in her glove. He’d been so adamant about getting upstairs that he hadn’t noticed that she’d changed into more casual clothing. “Look, since I think you’re just gonna leave without telling us if we continue to keep you here, I’m gonna give your phone back.” Danny blinked, eyes wide. “Yes, I know this is kind of giving in, but I’d feel a lot better if I could call you and know where you are. Promise to keep your phone charged and on you, and answer when I call?” she asked. He nodded slowly, still expecting a trick.

 

“Y-Yeah, I promise....” he said, still bewildered. Maddie smiled sadly at him, opening her arms for a hug. Danny barely kept the surprise from showing on his face, and he practically sprinted into her arms. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed his mom’s hugs until he got one again. The pain that had faded into a dull ache over the course of his year in AYDC came back with a vengeance, settling hard and heavy just under his ribcage. Tears pricked at his eyes as he buried his face in her shoulder, shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs.

 

“I love you, Danny. Don’t forget that, okay?” she murmured into his hair. He nodded, still too choked up to speak. He swallowed the lump in his throat, discreetly drying his tears on the sleeve of her shirt before answering.

 

“I love you too, Eomma.” He didn’t want to let go. It’d been too long since he’d had a hug from his mom, or even a kind word. He jumped when a heavy hand laid itself gently on his shoulder, looking up to see his dad. He smiled at him weakly, looking older and more tired than Danny had ever seen him. “Danny.....I’m sorry. We weren’t the best parents lately, were we?” he asked, chuckling sardonically.

 

Danny bit back the multitude of sarcastic responses, instead shrugging slightly. “Not really....” he agreed. He stiffened when Jack joined the hug, before burying his face in Maddie’s shoulder again, a fresh wave of tears leaking out of his eyes. “I missed you guys so much.....” he whispered, shaking slightly.

 

Maddie made a multitude of shushing noises, petting his hair gently. “I’m so sorry, Danny.....We’ll try to be better, okay?” she murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. He nodded, squeezing his eyes shut.

 

None of them noticed Jazz watching silently from the top of the stairs, a brief flash of envy crossing her face before she turned around, disappearing back into her room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bet y'all didn't think this was where i was going with this huh


	37. Chapter 37: MONSTER | KILLER Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you haven't already seen it, i added a chunk to the end of chapter 36 that's pretty important to read before this chapter. if you just came from chapter 36, disregard.

She loved her brother. She swore she’d always protect him, ever since he came home crying in third grade with a massive black eye and missing homework. He’s her little brother, after all. That’s her job. It took her this long to realize that while she may be able to beat back the mutant weenies with a push broom, she couldn’t protect Danny from himself.

 

When he got arrested, she didn’t know about it until after she got home from the NHS meeting. She’d heard about the fight, sure. But she had assumed it was someone else. She hadn’t realized it was Danny, hadn’t realized it was bad enough that he’d be brought in on assault charges.

 

She could still remember that day. Could still remember the noise from the basement, the yelling and the horrible howling, echoing through the lower levels. Her mom cried. Her mom never cried.

 

And then.....there was after.

 

Once Danny was actually sentenced, things at home went from bad to worse. Her parents seemed to want to forget Danny ever existed. They never visited, never wrote, never even told her where he was so that she could contact him.

 

They began pushing her harder, even though she was already taking two extracurriculars, three AP courses, and maintaining straight A’s in all her classes. It felt like all they’d let her have time for was studying. Honestly, she began to resent Danny. She felt like, if he hadn’t been arrested, then their parents would’ve never felt the need to “make up for the bad egg in the family” by making her be the perfect child.

 

She didn’t have time to eat. She didn’t have time to sleep. She didn’t even have time to shower, not usually. She stayed up until late, trying her hardest to maintain the harsh standards of perfection her parents demanded from her, eventually just staying in her room all the time unless she was at school.

 

Eventually, she reached her breaking point. The stress forced her into a numb, hazy state (though honestly, that could’ve easily been the 64-ounce coffee/NOS cocktail and 3 days without sleep), that she felt she could never escape from. On one of her AP Psychology tests, she got a B. She played it off like it didn’t matter, but hid under the Druggie Stairs during her off and cried, not caring that her carefully-applied makeup was starting to run, waterproofing be damned.

 

Summer was a relief. She knew she should visit Danny, especially since he’d had no contact from  _ any  _ of them for the last nine months, but she couldn’t bring herself to get out of bed. She was just so tired, that even the _ thought _ of moving exhausted her. Eventually, it got to the point where she only left the bed to go to the bathroom and munch on a few crackers she had squirreled away in the pillowcase.

 

Things didn’t get better once Danny was released. In fact, they only got worse. He was constantly butting heads with their parents, sneaking out at night and talking to himself in his room. Privately, she wondered if juvie had made him a bit nutty. It sparked that old, familiar curiosity, but even that wasn’t enough to force her out of bed.

 

He made it worse by being so  _ nice  _ to her. He brought her food, but he didn’t force her to eat. He gave her space when she needed it, but forced her out when things got especially bad. For the first time in almost a year, she actually left the house for something non-academic, thanks to him.

 

And then he came home bloodstained and bruised, but still managed to get forgiven. It wasn’t fair! How come he, the delinquent of the family, got to be hugged and apologized to when she barely even got a “good job”?! It sparked something else inside her.

 

Envy.

 

She wanted what he had. She wanted her parents to look at her with love in their eyes again. She wanted them to praise her. She wanted to go back to the days where a 90% was good enough, instead of being a sign that she was lazy. She wanted  _ so much,  _ but she knew there was no way she’d ever be able to get it.

 

So instead, she just went back to her room. If she couldn’t see the disapproval, then maybe she could pretend it wasn’t there. Maybe if she stayed in long enough, she’d work herself to death and become a ghost. At least then, her parents would pay attention to her.

 

At least then, they’d treat her as more than a disappointment.

 

\--

 

It all boiled over the next morning. She didn’t remember falling asleep, but she woke up on her desk, drool sticking her cheek to the pages of a textbook. She grimaced, peeling her face away and choking down a sob when she noticed the words had faded. They were probably stuck on her face now. She cleared her throat, shaking her head and scrubbing at her eyes. She was just about to go downstairs for more coffee when she was startled by yelling from Danny’s room.

 

She frowned, scooping up an empty glass and rolling over to the wall separating their rooms. She pressed the glass against the wall, putting her ear to the other end. It wasn’t perfect, but at least now she could make out the words. And what she heard.....it made her see red.

 

_ “Look, I just don’t see why I  _ **_shouldn’t_ ** _ be suspicious! They’ve done nothing but belittle and berate me the last two months, not to mention they completely  _ **_abandoned_ ** _ me at the prison! No, look, I don’t care what you think you tasted. I’m not forgiving them.” _

They apologized to him. They hugged him and told him they loved him, and the ungrateful little shit couldn’t even find it in his heart to forgive them! He couldn’t even treasure what he had!

 

She was seething. Her anger drove her from her chair, face flushed and hair sticking to her face as she stormed out of her room. A small part of her mind screamed that she was overreacting, but Jazz really didn’t care.

 

She slammed open the door to Danny’s room, teeth clenched and fists balled at her sides. Danny jumped, falling out of his desk chair and knocking a plastic water bottle off his desk. “J-Jazz! Holy  _ shit  _ you scared me!” he yelped, clutching his chest and standing up.

 

She stormed over to him, slamming him against the wall. Tears stung her eyes, but once again, she forced them down. Instead, she started to talk. “You don’t know what you have, do you?” she hissed, voice hoarse from lack of use. Danny blinked, looking so innocent and confused that it  _ infuriated  _ her. “They  _ apologized  _ to you!” she snarled, leaning closer to him. She lost the battle with her tears, hot trails snaking down her cheeks.

 

“Jazz, what the hell are you talking about?!” Danny asked, holding his hands up defensively. He looked like he was battling with himself, like he was holding himself back from hurting her.

 

She smirked bitterly, wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her hoodie. “You.....They.....They apologized to you. For ignoring you. They said they loved you. You came home late, covered in blood, and they  _ still _ said they loved you.” She cleared her throat, lips trembling. “It’s not fair!”

 

“Jazz, I—” She didn’t want his excuses. She didn’t want his flimsy justifications, justifications that all ended up boiling down to the same thing: their parents loved him more than her. She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking like a leaf in a windstorm.

 

_ SMACK! _

 

He yelped quietly, but she didn’t open her eyes to look at him. Instead, she just ran away.

 

In the end, the one she needed to protect him from......was her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is so late. lack of motivation + senior year came in wielding baseball bats and took turns beating me up for the last few months.


	38. Chapter 38: MONSTER | KILLER Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO i'm sorry this is so late i lost motivation and then senior year and college apps started beating me up so like i couldn't write but HERE IT IS!!!! and chapter 39 is done now. that's going up once chapter 40 is done

The slap hadn’t hurt. What had hurt was the fact that Jazz had hit him in the first place. Phantom was cackling, but Danny didn’t pay attention. She was jealous......of him? He frowned, rubbing his cheek absently.

 

“What.....?” he muttered, shaking his head. “It doesn’t matter. I just need to calm down.” He turned back to his homework, poking at the paper listlessly. He didn’t know how to do this. At least, not the way that Lancer wanted it done. Apparently this was stuff they had learned last year. He didn’t want to ask for help. It’s not like any of the teachers would  _ give  _ him help in the first place.

 

They’d all just say he needed to work harder, if they ended up wanting to be alone with him at all. A lot of them were scared of him. They hid it, but he could tell. Plus, they were all of the mindset that if he hadn’t gotten arrested last year, he would  _ know _ how to do this. Not that they care that it was because of the bullying that it happened.

 

They never care about the bullying. He took care of Dash, but it was like a hydra. He cut off one head, and two more grew back. One jock taken care of, two more in his place. It was ridiculous, and he was extremely tempted to just keep defending himself, but he had no desire to go back to juvie.

 

The first time was bad enough.

 

\--

 

Monday was hell. Apparently, everyone and their dog had heard about his encounter with Kevin, and was now either avoiding him or picking a fight. Some of the jocks thought he was just bluffing. Nobody appreciated the reminder of what happened to Dash. Dash himself, on the other hand, stayed far away. Seemed he was scared of Danny, but not for the reasons everyone else was.

 

How the tables have turned.

 

Ms. Spoon kept glaring at him. He hated her. She was always trying to get him in trouble, like if she tried hard enough she could get him booted out of the school completely. He didn’t really care. Obviously, he still did the work. Even if his dreams were crushed before they could ever even begin to become reality, he still wanted to try to go to college. Besides, there was still that whole “C average” thing to worry about.

 

He couldn’t focus though. Everyone was so loud, and his head was pounding. It felt like an overenthusiastic construction worker was drilling through his skull with wild abandon, uncaring of any nerves he hit along the way. Danny grit his teeth, clenching his fist. He winced and swore quietly when his pencil snapped, shards of plastic embedding themselves in his palm.

 

Whatever. He could handle it. He just had to get the shards out, and the healing would take care of the rest. Quietly thankful he sat in the back, he opened his hand. Almost immediately, he stiffened.

 

His hand wasn’t mangled too badly, but the blood coating his fingertips.....

 

Tears welled up in his eyes, and his breathing quickened. The desk was replaced with a vision of Kitty’s skull, caved in and bleeding, staining her hair a sickly red. His breath hitched, and he just barely swallowed a scream. As it was, he just sat there shaking until someone poked him roughly. He jumped back, instinctively swiping at whoever poked him, ending up on the ground after falling out of his chair. Luckily, Kitty’s skull was gone. Unluckily, he now had a detention after school.

 

He sighed and sat back down. Just another Monday.

 

\--

 

When he walked into the detention room, he’d been expecting it to be just him. Nobody assigned people to the same room as him anymore, too afraid he’d lash out. But instead of an empty room and an irritated and/or terrified teacher, he got an empty room, with a backpack sitting on a table. He frowned, setting his bag down on the only other seat, a desk next to the one with the bag on it.

 

It looked familiar..... He frowned, squinting at the bag. He recognized the keychain. A Tamagotchi, along with a Space Invaders keychain. Only one nerd he knew had those keychains.

 

Tucker.

 

Seems the day has finally come. He knew he was being dramatic, but really, Tucker had been avoiding him for over a year now. It was high time they got it over with. If there was one thing he learned, it was that sometimes you needed to settle festering feelings with a fight.

 

He just hoped it didn’t come to that. Tucker was and always would be his best friend, and honestly? Danny missed him. He missed staying up late to play video games, talking about nothing and tossing popcorn at each other. He missed helping Tucker with his engineering homework, and missed getting help with math.

 

He sighed, laying his head on his arms. Absently, he traced one of the scars with his finger, frowning. He’d changed for sure. Had Tucker?

 

He was so deep in thought that he nearly missed the door opening. He heard a sharp gasp, and retreating footsteps. “Mr. Lancer! I can’t go in there!” Danny winced, biting back tears. Phantom hissed in excitement, but Danny ignored him, shoving away the cold.

 

“Mr. Foley, there’s no reason for concern. You are entirely safe, I promise. Now, take your seat.” Danny tried not to groan. Tucker  _ and _ Lancer? Great, just what he needed. A whole hour stuck in a tiny room with people who hate him. This is  _ exactly  _ how he wanted to spend his afternoon.

 

He didn’t look up when Tucker walked over to his seat. He didn’t look up when Tucker hesitantly moved his things and sat down. For all Tucker knew, he was asleep. He intended to keep it that way. If he didn’t look up, then Tucker wouldn’t run. He could pretend everything was fine, and that he wasn’t here because of a panic attack. He could pretend that they were still friends. He could even pretend that Tucker wasn’t here.

 

Until Tucker started staring. “Woah.....” he breathed quietly, a hesitant touch coming just centimeters away from Danny before drawing back. Danny could only guess what he was looking at, but he assumed it was his scars. He fought the urge to hide his arms, keeping up the pretense of sleeping for as long as he could.

 

Maybe if he was lucky, he could fall asleep for real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i lied, there's one more arc (MONSTER | KILLER ends next chapter, next arc is the MEDIUM arc) before the epilogue because i have more loose ends than i thought. i'm hoping to wrap up the story within ten chapters, but no more than fifteen. this has gone on long enough. when will my completion status return from war.


	39. Chapter 39: MONSTER | KILLER Arc (END)

They sat in a tense silence for a while, until Tucker apparently couldn’t take it anymore. Danny had been fine with pretending, but apparently Tucker had other plans. “Danny, I know you’re not sleeping.” Danny cursed softly, sitting up.

 

“What gave it away?” he asked. Tucker smiled, but didn’t meet his eyes.

 

“You drool when you sleep. Plus, your eyes were open,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. Danny sighed, sitting up and stretching out his neck.

 

“You’re right. I have a hard time sleeping now anyway...” he muttered, glancing at Lancer. He was worried about getting in trouble for talking (since he seemed to  _ always  _ be in trouble), but Lancer was making a very obvious show about ignoring them. He smiled and shook his head. Trust Lancer to do things for others while pretending he didn’t care. “A-Anyway, what about you? How’ve you been?” he asked, turning back to Tucker.

 

“Oh, um.....I’ve been alright. Joined robotics club....That’s about it, really.” He sighed, avoiding Danny’s eyes. “No offense Danny, but.....why do you care?” he asked. Danny blinked, shocked.

 

“What do you mean?” he asked. Tucker smiled bitterly, scratching at the back of his hand with ragged, chewed-off nails.

 

“I mean why do you  _ care.  _ It’s not like you’ve tried to talk to me or anything. Hell, I’ve been messaging you for  _ weeks  _ now, but never got a response.” He scowled, glaring at Danny. “I just gave up. Obviously, you didn’t want to talk to me.”

 

Danny winced. Now, it was his turn to look away. He didn’t really want to talk about this, but......he really missed Tucker. “Tuck....the reason I hadn’t been replying isn’t because I didn’t want to talk to you. It’s because after I got out, my parents took my computer and phone, and if I wasn’t doing chores then I got in trouble. I wasn’t even allowed to leave the house.” He stared at his hands, biting back tears. “I wanted to talk to you, really. But.....I only got my phone back last night, and I.....thought you were avoiding me. I didn’t want to make you any more uncomfortable than I already did.” He grit his teeth, clenching a fist. “I know I scare you.”

 

“You don’t—!” Tucker started, before cutting himself off. “Okay, yeah, you scare me. It’s just.....there’s something about you, Danny. It’s like you’re a dementor or something.” Danny stiffened, the statement too close to the truth for comfort.

 

“........Yeah, I can see that.” He sighed, tugging on his bangs in irritation. “I’m....sorry, Tucker. I can’t......control the whole dementor part. I just.....I miss you, okay? And I promise, I’ll do better about messaging you.” He looked sideways at Tucker, chewing on his lip. “You don’t hate me.....right?”

 

Tucker paused, long enough to worry Danny, before shaking his head. “No. I may be scared of you, but......I don’t hate you. Even though I know what you did is wrong, I....can’t help but be glad that you put the fear of God into Dash.” Danny smiled slightly, sighing in relief.

 

“Thanks, Tuck.....That means more than you realize.” Tucker made an exaggeratedly disgusted face, pushing him back.

 

“Okay, too many feelings, chill.”

 

\--

 

Wes wasn’t sure how he’d managed it, but he’d somehow gotten Valerie, pretty, popular Valerie, to join him in his Fenton Theory. Sure, he knew they’d been friends at Elmerton Middle, but he also knew she thought he was Crazy with a capital C. He didn’t mind, but it got annoying when she’d look at him with pity in her eyes whenever he talked about the things he could see.

 

It was the same pity his dad’s eyes showed, and the same pity in his psychiatrist’s eyes. He didn’t care. If they didn’t believe him, that was fine. He knew what he saw was real. Fenton’s reaction just proved he wasn’t crazy.

 

“-es? Wes! Yo, come on man, focus!” He blinked, shaking his head like a dog out of water. Valerie was leaning forward, waving a hand in front of his face. Involuntarily, his ears turned bright red, and he scooted back.

 

“S-Sorry, got lost in thought. What was I saying?” he asked. She chuckled, sitting back again.

 

“Something about how Danny’s been fooling everyone,” she prompted. He nodded, clicking his fingers. He pulled his photo pile closer, sitting next to her and moving aside the bowl of chips. 

 

“Okay, so, look at this picture and tell me what you see,” he said, pointing at a picture of Fenton and his ghostly tagalong he had on his phone. The ghost was grinning at the camera, all glowing eyes and sharp teeth, and involuntarily, Wes shuddered.

 

“I see a creeper picture of Danny. When did you even take this?” she asked, confused. Wes sighed, raking a hand through his hair.

 

“I figured it wouldn’t show up on the phone. Okay, now look at this one. It’s the same picture, but printed on film,” he said, pulling a copy of the picture out of the pile. Valerie squinted at it, before her eyes widened.

 

“There’s some kinda weird smudge here....did you get a thumbprint on it or something?” she asked. He shook his head.

 

“No. Have you seen those ‘ghost pictures’ on the internet?” he asked. She nodded, tilting her head. “So, those ones are usually called double exposure, right? Not this time. What I see is an actual ghost. The ones online are definitely  _ not  _ ghosts, at least, not 99 percent of the time. But this smudge?” He pointed at the photo. “To me, that looks like a real being. It’s got white hair, bright green eyes, and too many teeth.”

 

She nodded, folding her hands in her lap. “Alright, so lemme get this straight. You’re saying you see ghosts, and that the whole Mothman dealio wasn’t you just going on some reality trip?” she asked. He nodded, hope blooming in his chest. “Okay. I’ll believe you. About Danny, not Mothman.” He laughed as she wagged a finger in his face, too relieved to be annoyed.

 

“Thanks, Val. I really appreciate it,” he said. She poked him in the side, digging through the pile until she found some of his photos of mountain cryptids.

 

“Now, I know these aren’t just landscapes to you, but come on Wes you gotta put these in the art show!” He blushed again, for a different reason now.

 

“N-No! Val, come on, they aren’t even that good!” he protested, hiding his face. She scoffed, poking him again.

 

“Yes, they are!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next up is the MEDIUM arc, the last big one before FINALE. it'll be focusing on wes and explaining his storyline, as well as wrapping up that thing. i want to get as many loose ends tied up next arc as possible, because i don't want FINALE any longer than two chapters.


	40. Chapter 40: MEDIUM Arc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is longer than normal, but if i had kept 40 and 41 as separate chapters they would've been tiny, at 566 and 940 words respectively. the next update shouldn't take as long, if inspiration and insomnia keep hitting me with the motivation stick. fingers crossed.

Wesley William Weston has been seeing things others couldn’t since he was five years old. The things he saw scared him, and he knew they were the sort of thing that parents tried to  _ hide  _ from kids. Unfortunately, his dad never believed him.

 

He never did anything about it either, but that was to be expected. He loved the guy, but.......Walter wasn’t exactly “Dad of the Year”. Secretly, Wes thought his dad was a bit scared of him, and tried to just make him happy. He didn’t mind. At that point, it was too late to actually help him.

 

None of the articles on the internet helped. Sure, he saw things people didn’t. Sure, he had  _ tried  _ to take photos to show people or to prove to himself it wasn’t real, but.....the things showed up on film, too. It was around seventh grade (right in the middle of losing all his friends) that he stumbled across “ghost photos”. These photos were usually smudges, with people in the comments freaking out over it.

 

He never saw anything more than the smudges. Until he did.

 

\--

 

_ When people in the comments were freaking out over the illegitimacy of the photo, Wes was more focused on the image of the teenage boy standing over the bodies of the victims. Nobody mentioned him, but someone said that this was a photo of bullies from Casper High, taken in 1962, after they’d been found dead due to mysterious causes. The boy was standing over the bodies, glaring down at them. Wes frowned, pausing in his scrolling. _

 

_ The fact that nobody mentioned the boy was odd. Sure, they were conspiring about a ghost, but nobody mentioned how  _ **_clear_ ** _ he looked. He zoomed in on the photo, scoffing when it got too blurry to make out details. “Okay, new plan....” he muttered, opening a new tab. _

 

_ He bit his thumbnail absently, scrolling through pages of results and images, until he stumbled on one matching the description of the boy he’d seen. Black hair, glasses, freckles......small nose.......buckteeth. This was the boy from the photo. _

 

_ Sidney Poindexter. Died in 1956. _

 

_ He was a ghost. _

 

_ He was the proof that Wes wasn’t crazy. _

 

_ \-- _

 

Danny Fenton was the biggest mystery, in Wes’ opinion. On the outside, he appeared perfectly normal. Short and skinny, with a smattering of freckles and deeply tanned skin, the picture of a normal child. At least, that’s what everyone else saw.

 

Wes knew, though. He knew that there was something wrong with Danny, he just couldn’t prove it. No matter how many photos he took, people thought he was just a stalker. Nobody saw the ghost.

 

Sure, he got his fifteen minutes of fame as “the one who saw it coming” when Fenton got arrested, but it felt hollow. After the hype died down and the police stopped questioning people, he was back to being the class schizo. He barely held onto his spot on the team, and eventually he had to say something.

 

He went to visit Fenton. Arguably one of the worse decisions he’d made, but he’d needed to. He needed the closure.

 

Honestly, Wes hadn’t been expecting Fenton to react as violently as he did. Maybe the ghost was more in control than he’d thought, or maybe Fenton was really just that volatile. Either way, he knew he was right.

 

Fenton was dangerous, and he was the only one who could see the truth.

 

\--

 

There was something weird about Wes. Sure, he was weird before. At least, from the little Danny had known of him before the.....incident. But now? It’s like he took his creepy stalker bit and amped it up to eleven. Everywhere Danny went, Wes was there. Even when they didn’t share classes, Danny didn’t get a break. He was there at lunch, during breaks, after school, you name it.

 

After a few weeks of this, Danny realized it wasn't just Wes following him around. He’d gotten Valerie Grey on his side, and with double the stalkers came double the difficulty in throwing them off. Danny just wanted  _ one day  _ where he could sit under the stairs and sketch in peace, was that too much to ask for?

 

Apparently so. Today, Valerie had managed to corner him before he could slip away. She had a steely glint in her eye, the same kind that Jazz used to get when faced with a particularly difficult patient. “Alright Danny, spill it. You’ve been avoiding me for weeks, and I’m getting tired of following you around. What’s your deal?” she asked. He frowned, looking up at her. Static tickled his palms, and he quickly shoved them in the pockets of his hoodie before they started sparking.

 

“I could ask you the same thing. I’m nothing special, you know.” He smirked a little at her frustrated glare, shifting his weight slightly. “You could easily quit following me whenever. Or, what, did Wes put you up to this?” She jerked slightly, and he grinned wider. Got her. “He’s been following me since  _ last year.  _ Don’t you think that’s a little weird?”

 

She shifted uncomfortably, clearing her throat. “W-Well, he has a good reason!” she argued, glaring down at him. He scoffed, rolling his eyes.

 

“What, that I’m a ghost?” he asked. She nodded slowly, narrowing her eyes. “Yeah, I’ve heard that one before. Did you know he visited me in juvie, the  _ first person  _ to visit me other than the officer assigned to my case, just to tell me that he thought I was a monster?” Danny swallowed roughly, looking away. “He’s got his own problems, Valerie. I know I’m weird, but.....” He sighed, clenching his fists inside his pockets. “Wes is lying to you, Valerie.” He held up a hand to stop her protests. “Just, hold on, okay? If I was really a ghost, I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you. Did you forget my parents are ghost  _ hunters?”   _ he asked. “They might be a little nutty, but they’re still brilliant inventors. There’s no way they  _ wouldn’t  _ know, if I really  _ was _ a ghost.”

 

Valerie stepped back, looking shellshocked. “I....didn’t realize....” she whispered.

 

He shrugged, trying for a smile. “It’s whatever. But, now you know, okay? Feel free to tell him what I told you.” She didn’t reply, instead just walking away. He sighed, tracing one of his scars.

 

_ “Are you okay, My Other?”  _ Phantom asked. He sounded.....off, but Danny ignored it. He nodded, curling up in the corner.  _ “Did she hurt you?”  _ He shook his head.  _ “If she hurt you you don’t need to lie, I’ll take care of her I swear I’ll protect you I—” _ Danny panicked when he felt the cold creeping into his chest, slamming his eyes shut.

 

“Stop it! She didn’t hurt me!” he snapped, tugging on his hair. He felt like a coiled wire, tensed up and ready to snap. “Why can’t you just  _ believe me  _ for once?!” His backpack, which he’d sat on the ground next to him, suddenly shot across the room. Papers spilled across the floor, getting smudged with dirt. He scowled, glaring at the backpack. “Oh,  _ real  _ mature Phantom.” One of the papers floated up, slowly tearing itself in half. Those halves got torn into smaller and smaller pieces, before being sprinkled over Danny’s hair like snow. “Thanks, appreciate it. Not like I  _ needed _ that worksheet for math or anything.”

 

_ “You will regret this, My Other,”  _ Phantom warned. Danny scoffed, gathering up his papers.

 

“Yeah, sure. I’m  _ real  _ scared.”

 

\--

 

I love my Other. Or, what I  _ think  _ is love. I only want the best for my Other. He’s mine and I won’t let anyone hurt him because he’s the one thing standing between me and Us. When I was still We, it was.......bad. He gave Us form, turned Us from globs of ectoenergy into something whole, something  _ solid.  _ No longer were We just a group of Floaters, We had a  _ Form.  _

 

I’m so grateful to Other but he hates me and I don’t know why I’m just trying to help him and protect him because we can’t merge yet if he dies I become We again and I can’t do that I can’t lose my Form not when it took  _ so long  _ to get it.

 

He keeps telling me I can’t eat the others. I don’t see why I shouldn’t, when the Groundbound are so much stronger than me that consuming their energy makes me powerful, lets me protect him. It’s almost like he  _ wants  _ to go Full. When we were in the prison he used my power nearly daily to keep off the humans who wanted to hurt him. He used my power to protect himself from the stupid human. He used my power without a thought and every time  _ I  _ wanted to use it he forced me back.

 

I love my Other. I care about him. And that’s why I can’t let him keep on doing what he wants.

 

We aren’t going Full. Not if I have anything to say about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in case it wasn't clear, the last section (after the -- ) is from phantom's pov. if any of y'all know yugioh season 0, you'll recognize where i drew inspiration for his character from.
> 
> also, i just wanted to say thank you guys, for all the overwhelming support. seeing your comments really gets me out of my slumps. i know chapters have been few and far between, and i want to say thank you for sticking with me. i'm in my final few months of highschool before graduation, so it's been.....pretty stressful, to say the least. thanks for not demanding updates, and just keeping on with the erratic posting. i really do appreciate it =u=


End file.
